Archaeologists are excavating an ancient Neolithic site in Turkey that is believed to represent one of the earliest found in the region, potentially even predating the famous site of Göbekli Tepe.
The new site, dubbed Mendik Tepe, was discovered in the Eyyübiye area in Şanlıurfa, Turkey, and offers archaeologists an unprecedented look at the early human activities in the region, contrasting in many ways with its famous nearby counterpart, now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Excavations are currently being led by Professor Douglas Baird of the University of Liverpool, supported by the British Institute of Archaeology and the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum. Presently, Baird and the team have unearthed the remains of several buildings, which range in purpose from the likely storage of food to dwelling places.
Larger structural remains at the site have also been uncovered, which may have had ritual significance similar to the famous pillar-lined structures found at Göbekli Tepe, offering archaeologists a deeper look at the architecture and practices of Neolithic-era Anatolia, potentially extending the timeframe of the earliest human activity in the area.
Older Than the Oldest?
Following excavations led by Professor Klaus Schmidt in the 1990s, Göbekli Tepe reframed the debate over early human habitation and cultural practices with its precocious incorporation of sophisticated bas-relief art and monumental structural design.
The discovery fundamentally reshaped archaeologists’ understanding of not just early human settlement in the region, but also the early use of such technologies whose apparent ritual implementation at the site predate the use of pottery, and even agriculture in the area.
Along similar lines, Mendik Tepe dates back to the early part of the Neolithic period and provides additional evidence of the early transition of humans from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one that relied on permanent settlements. The site was initially discovered by archaeologist Fatma Şahin, who has led excavations and research at another Turkish archaeological site nearby called Çakmak Tepe.
Somewhat in contrast to discoveries at Göbekli Tepe, Baird and the team say the new site of Mendik Tepe may show signs of early agricultural practices, which he and the excavation team are currently investigating.
🔥Breaking: Mendik Tepe — possibly older than Göbekli Tepe!
New excavations in Şanlıurfa’s Mendik Tepe, part of the “Taş Tepeler Project,” are revealing structures dating to the earliest Neolithic, possibly predating even the renowned UNESCO-listed Göbekli Tepe. Led by Prof.… pic.twitter.com/2EfV5KPEhS
— History Content (@HistContent) August 28, 2025
Such discoveries, along with the architecture already being unearthed at the site, would be significant since they are believed to be at least 10,000 years old, but could potentially even predate the construction of Göbekli Tepe, dated to approximately 12,000 years ago, as well as other enigmatic archaeological sites nearby like Karahan Tepe.
Early Revelations at Mendik Tepe
With excavations having launched last year, Baird’s investigations at Mendik Tepe are still in their relatively early stages, although the initial efforts have revealed several buildings of varying sizes, which the research team is studying to understand their possible uses and reasons for their varying size.
Notably, although some of the structures unearthed at Mendik Tepe do include pillars, the iconic use of monumental architecture seen at Gobekli Tepe and its massive stone “T-shaped” pillars are absent at new site. Such differences may suggest that the builders of Mendik Tepe possessed a different ideology from the builders of Göbekli Tepe, or at least that it was constructed for different purposes in mind than its more famous counterpart.
Excavations at the site currently remain active under the Archaeological Institute of America’s Institute for Field Research and the University of Liverpool, with field school opportunities for students also available.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.