MOTIF RECORD · 10 OBJECT RECORDS · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Human heads and faces at Taş Tepeler

Human heads, faces or masks are described on sculptures, pillars and carved blocks. The catalogue distinguishes faces from whole-body figures.

Interpretive note: Descriptions retain the wording and uncertainty of the cited sources; a motif tag records a described depiction, not an agreed meaning. Sources: The Göbekli Tepe “Totem Pole” 2017 Tarihin Sıfır Noktasında İlk Boyalı Heykel Bulundu 2023 Buried buildings at Pre-Pottery Neolithic Karahantepe 2021 Karahantepe’de insan yüzlü T biçimli dikilitaş bulundu 2025 Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum guide retrieved 2026-10-22 Nevalı Çori retrieved 2026-10-22 The passage of matter: Transformations of objects and ritual meanings in the Neolithic of the Near East 2013 Sefertepe'deki sanatsal farklılık, yaklaşık 10 bin yıllık insan yüzü kabartmalarıyla ortaya çıktı 2025 8,500-year-old carved faces, tiny double-faced bead reshape Sefertepe’s role in Tas Tepeler 2025

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Göbekli Tepe · statue · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Totem-like sculpture

Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum · PPNB, Layer II (reported context)

Record sources: Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum (visitor and collection page)The Göbekli Tepe “Totem Pole”The Göbekli Tepe “Totem Pole”: A First Discussion of an Autumn 2010 Discovery

Upright stone sculpture with stacked figures on a museum plinth, casting a shadow on the wall. — Totem-like sculpture: A carved, multi-figure sculpture from Göbekli Tepe displayed in the museum.Photo: Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences

Depiction in cited source: The sculpture includes vertically arranged human-like heads. The Göbekli Tepe “Totem Pole” 2017

Interpretations recorded for this object

Scholarly debate

The sculpture may present a linked or nested group of human figures, but its composition does not establish a specific narrative.

By Klaus Schmidt and later excavation literature · The Göbekli Tepe “Totem Pole”The Göbekli Tepe “Totem Pole”: A First Discussion of an Autumn 2010 Discovery

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Göbekli Tepe · statue · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Painted wild boar statue

Structure D (excavation context) · PPNB, c. 9th millennium BC (reported by excavators)

Record sources: First painted statue discovered at Göbeklitepe Painted boar sculpture from Göbekli Tepe Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum (visitor and collection page)

Painted wild boar statue

No licensed photograph of this object is in the image register.

Depiction in cited source: Three human faces or masks are described on the associated bench. Tarihin Sıfır Noktasında İlk Boyalı Heykel Bulundu 2023

Identification note: The faces are on the bench associated with the statue, not on the boar figure.

Interpretations recorded for this object

Scholarly consensus

Pigment traces show that at least some Göbekli Tepe sculptures were coloured; the statue’s original appearance is only partly preserved.

By DAI and Ministry excavation reporting · First painted statue discovered at Göbeklitepe Painted boar sculpture from Göbekli Tepe

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Karahan Tepe · relief · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Structure AB: carved head and bedrock pillars

Structure AB · PPNA, c. 10th millennium BC

Record sources: Buried buildings at Pre-Pottery Neolithic Karahantepe Karahantepe (site report)

Rounded bedrock pillars fill a sunken chamber, with a carved head projecting from the rear wall. — Structure AB: carved head and bedrock pillars: Bedrock pillars and a carved head in Structure AB at Karahan Tepe.Photo: tobeytravels, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences

Depiction in cited source: A human head projects from one wall of Structure AB. Buried buildings at Pre-Pottery Neolithic Karahantepe 2021

Interpretations recorded for this object

Scholarly debate

Karul interprets the building as a special-purpose space based on its architecture and lack of domestic features; its exact use remains uncertain.

By Necmi Karul · Buried buildings at Pre-Pottery Neolithic Karahantepe Karahantepe (site report)

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Karahan Tepe · pillar · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Human-faced T-shaped pillar

In situ at Karahan Tepe · PPNA, c. 10th millennium BC (reported)

Record sources: Karahantepe’de insan yüzlü T biçimli dikilitaş bulundu Karahantepe (site report)

Human-faced T-shaped pillar

No licensed photograph of this object is in the image register.

Depiction in cited source: A reported T-shaped pillar bears a carved human face. Karahantepe’de insan yüzlü T biçimli dikilitaş bulundu 2025

Identification note: The face identification is reported pending detailed excavation publication.

Interpretations recorded for this object

Scholarly debate

The find is reported by the excavation and Ministry press coverage; archaeological interpretation awaits fuller publication.

By Karahan Tepe excavation team, as reported by Anadolu Agency · Karahantepe’de insan yüzlü T biçimli dikilitaş bulundu Karahantepe (site report)

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Yeni Mahalle / Balıklıgöl Höyüğü · statue · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Urfa Man / Balıklıgöl statue

Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum · PPNA, c. 9300–8700 BCE (official museum guide)

Record sources: Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum guide Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum (visitor and collection page)

Close frontal view of Urfa Man's pale stone head, dark inset eyes and long nose against a black background. — Urfa Man / Balıklıgöl statue: The Urfa Man statue displayed in the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum.Photo: Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences

Depiction in cited source: The statue’s eyes are described as inlaid with dark material. Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum guide retrieved 2026-10-22

Interpretations recorded for this object

Scholarly debate

The figure is often described as an early human statue; its precise social or ritual role is unknown.

By Museum and regional Neolithic scholarship · Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum guide Şanlıurfa Neolithic survey: Yeni Mahalle and the Urfa statue

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Nevalı Çori · object · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Nevalı Çori sculptures and carved heads

Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum · PPNB, c. 8400–8100 BC

Record sources: Nevalı Çori Geometry and Architectural Planning at Göbekli Tepe, Turkey Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum (visitor and collection page)

Stone head sculpture with rounded features and a broken lower section, displayed in a museum. — Nevalı Çori sculptures and carved heads: A carved head from Nevalı Çori in the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum.Photo: Marco Restano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences

Depiction in cited source: TAY lists carved human heads among Nevalı Çori’s finds. Nevalı Çori retrieved 2026-10-22

Interpretations recorded for this object

Scholarly debate

These objects belong to a regional tradition of human and animal imagery; their specific meanings are not known.

By Nevalı Çori excavators · Nevalı Çori Geometry and Architectural Planning at Göbekli Tepe, Turkey

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Nevalı Çori · statue · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Human-headed bird figure from Building III

Cult Building III, east-side bench, latest phase · Middle PPNB, c. 8500–7950 cal BC, according to the cited study.

Record sources: The passage of matter: Transformations of objects and ritual meanings in the Neolithic of the Near East A Queer Feminist Perspective on the Early Neolithic Urfa Region: The Ecstatic Agency of the Phallus

Human-headed bird figure from Building III

No licensed photograph of this object is in the image register.

Depiction in cited source: The composite figure is described as human-headed. The passage of matter: Transformations of objects and ritual meanings in the Neolithic of the Near East 2013

Interpretations recorded for this object

Scholarly debate

The two protrusions are generally read as folded wings, giving rise to the conventional “human-headed bird” description.

By Verhoeven, summarizing published Nevalı Çori interpretation · The passage of matter: Transformations of objects and ritual meanings in the Neolithic of the Near East A Queer Feminist Perspective on the Early Neolithic Urfa Region: The Ecstatic Agency of the Phallus

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Nevalı Çori · statue · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Oversized human head with snake-like feature

Cult Building III, niche in the east wall · Pre-Pottery Neolithic B; the exact carving date is not published.

Oversized human head with snake-like feature

No licensed photograph of this object is in the image register.

Depiction in cited source: A large limestone human head has a snake-like feature on its crown or rear. The passage of matter: Transformations of objects and ritual meanings in the Neolithic of the Near East 2013

Interpretations recorded for this object

Scholarly debate

The feature is described morphologically; no single meaning is established in the cited literature.

By Hauptmann, as discussed by Verhoeven and Yurttaş · The passage of matter: Transformations of objects and ritual meanings in the Neolithic of the Near East A Queer Feminist Perspective on the Early Neolithic Urfa Region: The Ecstatic Agency of the Phallus

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Sefer Tepe · relief · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Paired human faces on a dressed stone block

Reported set at the front corners of a stone platform at Sefertepe. · Reported as Neolithic / PPNB; no calibrated date for the block has been published.

Record sources: Bakan Ersoy Yeni Keşifleri Tanıttı Sefertepe'deki sanatsal farklılık, yaklaşık 10 bin yıllık insan yüzü kabartmalarıyla ortaya çıktı Sefertepe 2025, in Arkeolojik Kazı ve Araştırmalar Toplantısı – 23: Bildiri Özetleri

Paired human faces on a dressed stone block

No licensed photograph of this object is in the image register.

Depiction in cited source: Two human faces are carved on one dressed stone block. Sefertepe'deki sanatsal farklılık, yaklaşık 10 bin yıllık insan yüzü kabartmalarıyla ortaya çıktı 2025

Interpretations recorded for this object

Speculation

The excavation team has suggested the contrasting faces may express differing identities or states, including life and death; this is explicitly provisional.

By Excavation team, as relayed by field reporting · Bakan Ersoy Yeni Keşifleri Tanıttı Sefertepe'deki sanatsal farklılık, yaklaşık 10 bin yıllık insan yüzü kabartmalarıyla ortaya çıktı

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Sefer Tepe · object · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Double-faced carved stone bead

Reported among the 2025 finds at Sefertepe. · A 2025 report describes the find as PPNB and roughly 8,500 years old; the 2026 excavation abstract gives no object-specific calibrated date. The reported age is retained as published and is not converted to BCE.

Record sources: Bakan Ersoy Yeni Keşifleri Tanıttı Sefertepe 2025, in Arkeolojik Kazı ve Araştırmalar Toplantısı – 23: Bildiri Özetleri 8,500-year-old carved faces, tiny double-faced bead reshape Sefertepe’s role in Tas Tepeler

Double-faced carved stone bead

No licensed photograph of this object is in the image register.

Depiction in cited source: A small bead is described with a human face on each side. 8,500-year-old carved faces, tiny double-faced bead reshape Sefertepe’s role in Tas Tepeler 2025

Interpretations recorded for this object

Scholarly debate

The two faces are documented, but their intended meaning has not been established in the available field report or press coverage.

By Current excavation summary and field reporting · Bakan Ersoy Yeni Keşifleri Tanıttı 8,500-year-old carved faces, tiny double-faced bead reshape Sefertepe’s role in Tas Tepeler Sefertepe 2025, in Arkeolojik Kazı ve Araştırmalar Toplantısı – 23: Bildiri Özetleri

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Sources

Source wording is attached to individual records above. The register includes sources used for depiction evidence and attributed interpretations.

The Göbekli Tepe “Totem Pole”German Archaeological Institute · 2017 · excavator · retrieved 2026-10-22
First painted statue discovered at GöbeklitepeMinistry of Culture and Tourism · 2023 · official · retrieved 2026-10-22
Buried buildings at Pre-Pottery Neolithic KarahantepeNecmi Karul, Türk Arkeoloji ve Etnografya Dergisi · 2021 · excavator · retrieved 2026-10-22
Karahantepe’de insan yüzlü T biçimli dikilitaş bulunduAnadolu Agency · 2025 · news · retrieved 2026-10-22
Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum guideGo Türkiye / Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency · official · retrieved 2026-10-22
Nevalı ÇoriGerman Archaeological Institute · excavator · retrieved 2026-10-22
The passage of matter: Transformations of objects and ritual meanings in the Neolithic of the Near EastMarc Verhoeven, in Ritual Failure: Archaeological Perspectives, Sidestone Press · 2013 · scholarly-book-chapter · retrieved 2026-10-22
Sefertepe'deki sanatsal farklılık, yaklaşık 10 bin yıllık insan yüzü kabartmalarıyla ortaya çıktıAnadolu Agency · 2025 · field-reporting · retrieved 2026-10-22
8,500-year-old carved faces, tiny double-faced bead reshape Sefertepe’s role in Tas TepelerTürkiye Today, interview/reporting with excavation director Emre Güldoğan · 2025 · interview-reporting · retrieved 2026-10-22
The Göbekli Tepe “Totem Pole”: A First Discussion of an Autumn 2010 DiscoveryKöksal-Schmidt and Schmidt, Neo-Lithics · 2010 · reference · retrieved 2026-10-22
Şanlıurfa Arkeoloji MüzesiT.C. Ministry of Culture and Tourism museum portal · official-museum · retrieved 2026-10-22
Painted boar sculpture from Göbekli TepeTepe Telegrams, DAI · 2023 · excavator · retrieved 2026-10-22
Karahantepe (site report)Taş Tepeler, Ministry of Culture and Tourism · 2026 · official · retrieved 2026-10-22
Şanlıurfa Neolithic survey: Yeni Mahalle and the Urfa statueBahattin Çelik, Türk Tarih Kurumu · 2022 · reference · retrieved 2026-10-22
Geometry and Architectural Planning at Göbekli Tepe, TurkeyGil Haklay and Avi Gopher, Cambridge Archaeological Journal · 2020 · peer-reviewed · retrieved 2026-10-22
A Queer Feminist Perspective on the Early Neolithic Urfa Region: The Ecstatic Agency of the PhallusEmre Deniz Yurttaş, Cambridge Archaeological Journal · 2025 · peer-reviewed · retrieved 2026-10-22
Şanlıurfa Müzesi Arkeolojik Eser KataloğuNecmi Karul, Nihat Kozbe and Derya Yavuzkır; Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality / ŞURKAV · 2021 · museum-catalogue · retrieved 2026-10-22
Bakan Ersoy Yeni Keşifleri TanıttıŞanlıurfa Governorship · 2025 · official-press-release · retrieved 2026-10-22
Sefertepe 2025, in Arkeolojik Kazı ve Araştırmalar Toplantısı – 23: Bildiri ÖzetleriEmre Güldoğan; Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Archaeology · 2026 · excavation-report · retrieved 2026-10-22
Şanlıurfa İli Neolitik Dönem Yüzey Araştırması Sonucunda Ortaya Çıkan Yeni Bilgi ve BulgularBahattin Çelik, Türk Tarih Kurumu, XVIII. Türk Tarih Kongresi, Cilt I · scholarly-report · retrieved 2026-10-22

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Interpretations recorded for this object

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