GGöbekli Tepe Visit

OBJECT RECORD · ESTABLISHED · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Oversized human head with snake-like feature

Nevalı Çori · Cult Building III, niche in the east wall

A stela from Nevalı Çori displayed in the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum.
Site view at Nevalı Çori: A stela from Nevalı Çori displayed in the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum.Photo: Marco Restano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences
A carved head from Nevalı Çori in the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum.
Site view at Nevalı Çori: A carved head from Nevalı Çori in the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum.Photo: Marco Restano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences
A Nevalı Çori carved head with a snake motif, displayed in the museum.
Site view at Nevalı Çori: A Nevalı Çori carved head with a snake motif, displayed in the museum.Photo: Marco Restano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences
A limestone sculpture from Nevalı Çori in the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum.
Site view at Nevalı Çori: A limestone sculpture from Nevalı Çori in the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum.Photo: Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences
A museum diorama reconstructing a building at Nevalı Çori.
Site view at Nevalı Çori: A museum diorama reconstructing a building at Nevalı Çori.Photo: Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences
Panoramic museum reconstruction of the Nevalı Çori building.
Site view at Nevalı Çori: Panoramic museum reconstruction of the Nevalı Çori building.Photo: Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences
A small human statuette from Nevalı Çori in the museum.
Site view at Nevalı Çori: A small human statuette from Nevalı Çori in the museum.Photo: Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences
A small stone human figure displayed upright in a glass-lit museum case.
Site view at Nevalı Çori: Museum display of a human statuette attributed to Nevalı Çori.Photo: Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences
A close view of a pale, irregular stone terrazzo floor display.
Site view at Nevalı Çori: A terrazzo floor example from Nevalı Çori, displayed in the museum.Photo: Cobija, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences
An oblong pale stone vessel fragment with carved figures across its surface, mounted on white supports in a museum case.
Site view at Nevalı Çori: A decorated stone-vessel fragment attributed to Nevalı Çori, displayed at the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum.Photo: Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto credits & licences

Record

SiteNevalı Çori
EnclosureCult Building III, niche in the east wall
Location nowReported built into the back of a wall niche in Cult Building III.
DatingPre-Pottery Neolithic B; the exact carving date is not published.

What is carved

A large limestone human head has a snake-like feature on its crown or rear. It was found reused in a wall niche; the motif’s intended meaning is unknown.

[1][2]

Interpretations

Scholarly debate

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

[1][2]

By Hauptmann, as discussed by Verhoeven and Yurttaş

Glossary

Continue through the record: Glossary · Chronology · Show Nevalı Çori on the map · Plan a visit

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