Gobekli Tepe has been a fascinating mystery.
Recently I did a deep dive into the Natufian culture of the epipaleolithic era in the Levant which lead up to the neolithic era. The Natufian culture bloomed after the ice age lead to climatic conditions idea for harvesting wild grains in the Levant. But then they winked out just as suddenly when the climate changed again.
So I was curious as to where they went and how their agricultural innovations fueled the neolithic agricultural revolution. And so I followed the migration and advancement of the Natufians, and their apex, lead to within 100km (60 miles) of Gobekli Tepe and a light bulb went off.
Having grown up in farm lands when I first saw the pictures of Gobekli Tepe I immediately thought of grain storage despite the claims of mystical temples. And now I realize that Gobekli Tepe is located exactly where the early Anatolians who had abandoned their hunter-gatherer existence for agriculture would have had the need for a grain warehouse.
While the scientific literature indicated that these Anatolians were not genetically related to the Natufians, it is clear that they adapted the Natufian agricultural techniques to their own superior local grains. So, it would seem logical that they would also adapt the circular Natufian granaries to their own needs.
And so I will attach the evidence that I found that convinced me that Gobekli Tepe was the world's first large-scale grain warehouse and the center of a neolithic trade network in grain.
Andy
Recently I did a deep dive into the Natufian culture of the epipaleolithic era in the Levant which lead up to the neolithic era. The Natufian culture bloomed after the ice age lead to climatic conditions idea for harvesting wild grains in the Levant. But then they winked out just as suddenly when the climate changed again.
So I was curious as to where they went and how their agricultural innovations fueled the neolithic agricultural revolution. And so I followed the migration and advancement of the Natufians, and their apex, lead to within 100km (60 miles) of Gobekli Tepe and a light bulb went off.
Having grown up in farm lands when I first saw the pictures of Gobekli Tepe I immediately thought of grain storage despite the claims of mystical temples. And now I realize that Gobekli Tepe is located exactly where the early Anatolians who had abandoned their hunter-gatherer existence for agriculture would have had the need for a grain warehouse.
While the scientific literature indicated that these Anatolians were not genetically related to the Natufians, it is clear that they adapted the Natufian agricultural techniques to their own superior local grains. So, it would seem logical that they would also adapt the circular Natufian granaries to their own needs.
And so I will attach the evidence that I found that convinced me that Gobekli Tepe was the world's first large-scale grain warehouse and the center of a neolithic trade network in grain.
Andy