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Global Heritage Fund Project Site Göbekli Tepe Featured on Cover of National Geographic

June 17, 2011

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Global Heritage Fund Project Site Göbekli Tepe
Featured on Cover of National Geographic

“The Birth of Religion” Tells Story of 11,600-Year-Old Temple and
How it is Reshaping Ideas About the Dawn of Civilization

PALO ALTO, CA — Global Heritage Fund (GHF) is pleased to announce the publication of National Geographic’s “The Birth of Religion,” a cover story about GHF project site Göbekli Tepe that discusses the significance of its massive pillars and how they are reshaping today’s ideas about the Neolithic Revolution and the dawn of civilization.

The article, which appears on the cover of the magazine’s June 2011 issue, begins by describing the 11,600-year-old temple and its monumental T-shaped pillars, which predate Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids by several millennia. The piece also tells the story of archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, who discovered Göbekli Tepe in 1994 and who has devoted his career to excavating and studying it. Schmidt believes that modern accepted theories about the Neolithic Revolution—that it was sparked by the emergence of agriculture, with civilizations and religion following—can be proven wrong by Göbekli Tepe, an ancient ceremonial site miles away from any sign of habitation, agriculture, or water source.

“Twenty years ago everyone believed civilization was driven by ecological forces,” Schmidt says. “I think what we are learning is that civilization is a product of the human mind.” He estimates that only a small part of the site has been excavated, meaning many artifacts and details, such as the dating of the site’s true beginning, remain unearthed. The major aim of the excavations is to uncover a part of the site large enough to understand it, avoiding unnecessary exposure of the structures. “In 10 or 15 years,” he predicts, “Göbekli Tepe will be more famous than Stonehenge. And for good reason.”

Schmidt is also director of GHF’s Göbekli Tepe project, a multi-year initiative announced in 2010 as the first conservation program in the site’s history. In partnership with the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), German Research Foundation (DFG), Şanlıurfa Municipal Government and Turkish government, GHF’s goals for the project are to support the preparation of a Site Management and Conservation Plan, construction of a shelter over the exposed archaeological features, training local community members in guiding and conservation, and helping Turkish authorities secure UNESCO World Heritage status.

GHF’s involvement has been a major positive development in the long-term sustainability of Göbekli Tepe, as it ushers in the first conservation plan in the site’s history. While the DAI and DFG will continue to support research and excavation at the site, they have been unable to fund conservation, which, according to Schmidt, illuminates GHF’s presence and contributions. “We are easily getting money for research,” Schmidt says, “but we don’t easily get money for conservation. Global Heritage Fund is an ideal partner.”

“Göbekli Tepe is not just the world’s oldest temple, but one of its most important documents for the study of human history,” says Jeff Morgan, Executive Director of GHF. “With proper conservation, this is a place that will tell us more than we have ever known about the birth of civilization and religion. Klaus Schmidt and his team have done an exceptional job of exploring it thus far, and National Geographic’s article has helped bring Göbekli Tepe to the world. GHF and its partners are committed to implementing a conservation strategy and preserving the monumental potential of Göbekli Tepe.”

About Global Heritage Fund
Global Heritage Fund (GHF) is an international conservancy whose mission is to protect, preserve and sustain the most significant and endangered cultural heritage sites in the developing world. GHF utilizes our 360-degree Preservation by Design® methodology of community-based planning, science, development and partnerships to enable long-term preservation and sustainability of global heritage sites. Since 2002, GHF has invested over $20 million and secured $18 million in co-funding for 16 global heritage sites to ensure their sustainable preservation and responsible development. For more information, visit http://www.globalheritagefund.org.