Overview

In 1994, a German archaeologist stumbled upon a discovery in southeastern Turkey that would shatter everything we thought we knew about human civilization. Göbekli Tepe-a massive stone temple complex dating back 12,000 years-wasn't supposed to exist. Built by hunter-gatherers 6,000 years before Stonehenge and 7,000 years before the Egyptian pyramids, it challenged the most fundamental assumption of archaeology: that organized religion, monumental architecture, and complex society emerged only after the invention of agriculture. The temple came first. Everything else followed. Now, with the recent excavation of Karahan Tepe and a dozen related sites across ancient Anatolia, we're witnessing the revelation of an entire lost world-a sophisticated Pre-Pottery Neolithic culture that built on a scale and with a vision that rivals anything achieved in later millennia. In Temples Before Time, discover: - How semi-nomadic hunters organized the labor and knowledge to construct monuments that have endured for twelve millennia - The meaning behind the intricate animal carvings-snakes, foxes, vultures, and wild boar-that adorn massive T-shaped pillars weighing up to sixteen tons - Evidence that these sites served as gathering places where beer flowed, feasts fed thousands, and rituals bound together communities across vast distances - The astronomical alignments and mathematical precision that suggest sophisticated knowledge we never attributed to ""primitive"" peoples - Why these magnificent temples were deliberately and carefully buried around 8000 BCE, preserved beneath the earth for centuries - How new discoveries at Karahan Tepe-with its bedrock chambers and life-sized human sculptures-are forcing archaeologists to completely reimagine this ancient world Drawing on the latest archaeological research, excavation reports, and site analysis, this comprehensive account takes you inside the revolution transforming our understanding of human origins. From the shepherd who first noticed strange stones on a hilltop to the cutting-edge techniques revealing entire buried landscapes, this is the story of how we're rewriting the first chapter of civilization. The stone circles of ancient Anatolia have waited twelve thousand years to tell their story. Their time has come. Perfect for anyone fascinated by the mysteries of our ancient past.

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