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Unveiling the Neolithic: Türkiye Hosts Groundbreaking Global Congress

10th October 2024 - From 4th -8th November , 2024, the Southeastern Anatolian city of Şanlıurfa, home to the globally significant Neolithic sites of Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe, will host the World Neolithic Congress, the first of its kind. Organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), this pioneering event will bring together approximately 1,000 scholars from 64 countries and 487 institutions to advance research and understanding of Neolithic cultures worldwide.

The Congress, co-organised by İstanbul University and Harran University, will take place at Harran University’s Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. It will serve as a vital platform for experts to discuss regional and global perspectives on the Neolithic era, with a focus on subjects such as early sedentary life, social hierarchies, and the role of environmental settings in shaping Neolithic communities. Through its sessions, the Congress aims to question conventional theories and present new insights into Neolithic studies, addressing various fields like bioarchaeology, physical anthropology, and geoarchaeology.

The event will also feature commemorative speeches honouring the contributions of the late archaeologists who have played an essential role in Şanlıurfa's archaeological discoveries, including Klaus Schmidt, Harald Hauptmann, Ofer Bar-Yosef, and Bruce Howe. Attendees will also have the chance to participate in site visits to key Neolithic locations in Şanlıurfa, such as Göbeklitepe, Karahantepe, Sayburç, Çakmaktepe, and Sefertepe—all part of the Taş Tepeler project, which is currently redefining our understanding of early human settlements.

Şanlıurfa’s Göbeklitepe, with its 12,000-year-old monumental structures, was one of the first sites to reveal that early hunter-gatherer communities consciously chose to settle, likely due to the region's environmental abundance. Its groundbreaking discoveries have altered long-standing theories about the Neolithic period, and the site has earned its place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The congress will highlight Karahantepe, another significant site, where ongoing excavations since 2019 have unveiled monumental structures and statues, such as the world’s largest known human statue from the Neolithic era.

The World Neolithic Congress is expected to be a historic event, not only for the academic world but also for the region of Şanlıurfa, reinforcing its position as a central hub in Neolithic research and heritage. As a key location in the Neolithic revolution, Şanlıurfa continues to play an important role in understanding humanity’s earliest civilisations.

 ENDS

Download link for images:        https://docs.tga.gov.tr/jsk8o1s9           

Notes to Edtiors

Neolithic Settlements of Şanlıurfa

Şanlıurfa, Türkiye, is home to some of the world's most significant Neolithic sites, including Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe. These settlements are among the earliest known human communities and provide crucial insights into the development of complex societies. Göbeklitepe, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is recognised for its monumental stone structures, revealing that early humans formed permanent communities driven by ritual and social gatherings rather than agricultural necessity.

The nearby site of Karahantepe, under excavation since 2019, has uncovered life-sized statues and monumental architecture, including the world’s largest known Neolithic human statue. These findings are part of the broader Taş Tepeler (Stone Mounds) region, a focal point of global Neolithic research. Excavations in this area continue to reshape our understanding of early human civilisation, offering valuable insights into social hierarchies, religious practices, and environmental adaptation during the Neolithic era.

About Türkiye

Located in the Mediterranean and connecting Asia and European continents with the famed Bosporus, Türkiye is a unique destination that welcomed more than 56.7 million international travellers in year 2023. The country has always been a hub for cultural interaction and home to varying climates. Today it inspires the visitors with its history, nature, and gastronomy that reflect the diversity of civilisations for centuries. Located at the crossroads of cultures, Türkiye has a distinctive understanding of art and fashion which is the synthesis of tradition and modernity. Its dynamic shopping & entertainment life also attracts visitors from all over the world. 

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Laura Goh: laura@pembrokeandrye.com

Bridget Bellamy: bridget@pembrokeandrye.com