Mesolithic Religion \"Like Numerous Neolithic Settlements Located

Mesolithic Religion

"Like numerous Neolithic settlements located in valleys with access to water and the prerequisites for agriculture, Gobekli Tepe dominates the landscape" and has continued to astonish modern archeologists today (History Underfoot, 2011). The Stone Temple erected at Urfa signaled the arrival of a new way of life in the Mesolithic era and a new set of behaviors. The site, in southeastern Turkey, is now considered one of the older religious sites known to man, which was erected during the Mesolithic era. It represents a new way of life, where man begins to harness his own power to create lasting objects on the natural landscape, where mankind changes the landscape in honor of religious practices.

Essentially, this massive effort on the behalf of these ancient people signified a new way of life. The site is "the oldest human-made place of worship" (Axelrod, 2010). According to the research, "massive carved stones about 11,000 years old" were "crafted and arranged by prehistoric people who had not yet developed metal tools or even pottery" (Curry, 2012). The massive T-shaped pillars are intricately carved and placed in ring patterns. It is clear that the hill and the stone slabs are entirely manmade, showing how the ancient Mesolithic peoples worked tirelessly to change the face of the landscape in order to provide a religious cite in honor of their ancient gods and goddesses. It was the first major implementation of tools to change the natural landscape to fit the needs of a growing cultural community in these ancient times. Flint tools were used to carve through the soft limestone, showing how man's own power and ingenuity could change the natural world around them. Essentially, "Gobekli Tepe's builders were on the verge of a major change in how they lived, thanks to an environment that held the raw materials for farming," and the power and creativity of man began to take shape with the ability to harness the power of nature (Curry, 2012). A nearby settlement site shows evidence of the first forms of animal domestication and farming, moving these people out of the hunter-gatherer state of previous peoples and towards a much more modern era. DNA research has found evidence of "the first ever wheat farmers" (Axelrod, 2010). Since the site is so close to a wild wheat patch, it can be assumed that the people who made the site were some of the earliest people to harness the power of nature and generate farming on their own terms.

New religious behaviors came about during the time the temple was built. First and foremost, human beings began to show their religious worship on a much grander scale. The religious practices seem to go beyond the animism and animal worship of previous periods. Several archeologists believe that there might also be grave sites around the area. All of this points to the notion that the religious behaviors were changing. The research suggests that "the pillars represented human beings and that the cult practices at this site may initially focused on some sort of ancestor worship" (Scham, 2008). This is a big move from the notion of animism alone, although there are still a variety of animal carvings throughout the site as well, showing an early combination of religious practices.