Quick Answer
The 2025 excavation season at Karahantepe, led by Professor Necmi Karul, uncovered three new semi-subterranean chambers east of the main Pillar Shrine, complete with T-shaped pillars and stone benches. We also documented two previously unseen leopard reliefs with incised claw marks — a detail unique to this season — and recovered fragments of serpent carvings that bring the total number of identified snake motifs to over twenty. Obsidian pieces recovered suggest trade networks spanning hundreds of kilometers across Anatolia, while bone deposits confirm a diet centered on gazelle and wild cattle.
Each year, the excavation team at Karahantepe pushes our understanding of the Neolithic further. The 2025 season, led once again by Professor Necmi Karul of Istanbul University under the broader Taş Tepeler research programme, has been no exception. While full publication of the results will take time, preliminary reports and site visits have already revealed several significant developments.
New Structures East of the Main Precinct
The most talked-about finding of the 2025 season is a previously unexcavated cluster of rooms to the east of the known Pillar Shrine area. Ground-penetrating radar surveys conducted in 2024 had hinted at sub-surface architecture in this zone, and targeted trenches confirmed the presence of at least three new semi-subterranean chambers cut into the bedrock.
Two of these chambers contain small T-shaped pillars — shorter than those in the main shrine but carved with the same technique of being worked directly from the living rock. The third chamber is notable for what appears to be a stone bench running along its entire perimeter, similar to features seen at Göbekli Tepe’s Layer III enclosures but on a more intimate scale.
Expanded Animal Relief Corpus
The 2025 excavations added significantly to Karahantepe’s catalogue of animal carvings. Among the new finds are two previously unseen leopard reliefs on the interior wall of one of the eastern chambers. These are rendered in a style consistent with earlier Karahantepe carvings — low-relief, with attention to the musculature of the animal’s body — but include a detail not seen before at this site: incised claw marks extending from the paws, as if the animal were depicted in motion or in the act of climbing.
A fragmentary snake carving was also uncovered on a fallen block, bringing the total number of identified serpent representations at Karahantepe to over twenty. The prevalence of snake imagery continues to distinguish Karahantepe from its neighbour Göbekli Tepe, where foxes and birds are more dominant.
Domestic Contexts and Daily Life
One of the ongoing themes of the Karahantepe excavation is the interplay between ritual and domestic space. The 2025 season reinforced this with the discovery of several refuse pits and worked-flint concentrations adjacent to the newly exposed chambers. Preliminary analysis of animal bones from these deposits indicates a diet centred on gazelle and wild cattle, consistent with findings from earlier seasons.
Importantly, several obsidian blades were recovered — a material not locally available in the Şanlıurfa region. Obsidian sourcing analysis, expected to be completed in early 2026, should help clarify the extent of Karahantepe’s exchange networks. Previous seasons identified obsidian from sources in central Anatolia and the Lake Van region, suggesting connections spanning hundreds of kilometres.
Conservation and Visitor Infrastructure
The 2025 season also saw continued investment in site conservation. The protective shelter over the Pillar Shrine, installed in 2023, was extended to cover a larger portion of the main excavation area. New elevated walkways were constructed, allowing visitors to view the eastern chambers without entering the sensitive excavation zones.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced plans for an expanded visitor centre at the site entrance, expected to open in late 2026. This will include a small exhibition space for replica carvings and contextual displays, easing pressure on the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum where many original finds are housed.
What to Expect Next
Professor Karul has indicated that the 2026 season will focus on the transition zone between the newly discovered eastern structures and the main Pillar Shrine, aiming to understand whether these areas were contemporary or represent successive phases of construction. Radiocarbon samples taken during the 2025 season are being processed and should provide crucial dating evidence.
The broader Taş Tepeler programme continues to investigate related sites in the region, including Sayburç, where extraordinary narrative reliefs were revealed in 2023, and Harbetsuvan Tepesi. Each new season deepens the picture of a complex, interconnected Neolithic society that flourished in this landscape twelve thousand years ago — and Karahantepe remains at the heart of that story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was discovered in the eastern chambers at Karahantepe in 2025? Three new semi-subterranean chambers containing small T-shaped pillars, stone benches, and animal reliefs. The chambers mirror architectural features found at Göbekli Tepe’s Layer III enclosures but on a more intimate, scaled-down level.
How many leopard reliefs were found in 2025? Two previously unseen leopard reliefs featuring incised claw marks extending from the paws — a stylistic detail not documented at Karahantepe before. They are rendered in low-relief consistent with earlier Karahantepe carvings.
What does the obsidian tell us about Karahantepe? Obsidian does not occur naturally near Şanlıurfa, so its presence at the site confirms that Karahantepe’s builders maintained trade networks spanning hundreds of kilometres — sourcing obsidian from central Anatolia and the Lake Van region.
How many serpent carvings have been identified at Karahantepe? Over twenty identified snake motifs have been documented across the site, with additional fragments recovered in the 2025 season. Serpent imagery is the dominant animal motif at Karahantepe, distinguishing it from Göbekli Tepe’s more diverse bestiary.
What will the 2026 excavation focus on? Professor Karul has indicated the 2026 season will investigate the transition zone between the newly discovered eastern structures and the main Pillar Shrine, aiming to determine whether these areas were contemporary or represent successive phases of construction.
When will obsidian sourcing analysis be completed? The analysis is expected to be completed in early 2026, which should clarify the extent and nature of Karahantepe’s exchange networks with distant Neolithic communities.