GGöbekli Tepe Visit

OBJECT RECORD · ESTABLISHED · CHECKED 2026-10-22

Limestone vessel fragment with raised-arm figures

Nevalı Çori

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
Location nowA limestone vessel fragment from Nevalı Çori; the specific excavated context is not established in the cited literature.
DatingPre-Pottery Neolithic B; no object-specific calibrated date is given.

What is carved

The fragment is described as a limestone bowl or basin decorated in relief with two human figures whose arms are raised and a bipedal, turtle-like figure between them. The central figure’s identity is uncertain.

[1][2]

Interpretations

Speculation

The figures have been proposed as dancers or participants in communal action; the central bipedal figure has been described as turtle-like or possibly hybrid. Both readings are tentative.

[1]

By Garfinkel, Yakar and Jolly as summarized by Yurttaş (2025)

Glossary

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

The Göbekli Tepe Visit Dispatch

One email a month. Only what changed.

Your address is stored on Cloudflare and used only for the Dispatch. Privacy