Entering the Chamber
Structure AB was fully exposed during the 2021 excavation season under the direction of Prof. Necmi Karul. What emerged from beneath millennia of fill and debris was unlike anything archaeologists had seen — even at Göbekli Tepe. A roughly circular, semi-subterranean chamber, approximately 7 metres in diameter, had been cut into the limestone bedrock of the hilltop.
Around the perimeter stand 11 T-shaped monolithic pillars, their flat front faces oriented toward the centre. Each pillar rises between 1.5 and 3 metres in height. Several bear carved relief images — a leopard figure on one is among the most photographed finds from the site. The pillars are not free-standing blocks: most were carved in situ from the living bedrock, a monumental feat of stone-working with only flint and stone tools.
Structure AB: T-shaped pillars surrounding the central figure, viewed from above
The Central Figure
At the heart of Structure AB stands a figure that has become the symbol of Karahantepe: a human form carved from the natural bedrock, its body tapering into the stone floor as though emerging from — or sinking back into — the earth itself. The figure appears to depict a nude male, with visible ribs etched across the torso.
The head is turned slightly, the expression difficult to read after 11 millennia of erosion. Some scholars have described it as gazing upward; others suggest it faces one of the surrounding pillars, establishing a visual relationship between the anthropomorphic figure and the T-shaped monoliths that encircle it.
The connection between figure and bedrock is crucial. Unlike portable sculptures that can be moved and repositioned, this figure was carved to be permanently part of this specific place. It was not brought to the chamber — the chamber was created around it.
The central figure emerging from bedrock
Leopard relief carved on a pillar within Structure AB
What Makes Structure AB Unique
Göbekli Tepe's enclosures are rightly celebrated, but Structure AB at Karahantepe introduces several features not found there. The most significant differences illuminate how distinct communities within the Taş Tepeler network interpreted shared architectural traditions.
Bedrock Integration
At Göbekli Tepe, T-shaped pillars were quarried from limestone outcrops up to 100 metres away and transported into pre-dug enclosures. At Karahantepe, many pillars in Structure AB were carved directly from the bedrock floor, remaining physically connected to the earth. This technique eliminated the need for transport but required extraordinary precision — a single miscalculated blow could ruin a pillar that could not be replaced.
The Human Centre-Piece
Göbekli Tepe's enclosures typically feature two larger "central" pillars facing each other. Structure AB replaces that arrangement with a single anthropomorphic figure carved from bedrock. This shift from abstract pillar forms to a recognisable human body may reflect an evolution in ritual practice or a distinctly local interpretation of shared beliefs.
Scale & Intimacy
While Göbekli Tepe's Layer III enclosures can reach 20 metres in diameter, Structure AB is a more intimate space at roughly 7 metres across. The closely spaced pillars create an enclosed, almost claustrophobic atmosphere. Scholars have speculated that this chamber was designed for smaller gatherings — perhaps initiation rites or ceremonies involving a select group rather than a large assembly.
Scholarly Interpretations
Interpretation of Structure AB is ongoing and contested — as befits a find this extraordinary. Prof. Karul has suggested that the chamber served a ritual or ceremonial purpose, possibly connected to ancestor veneration or cosmological beliefs. The central figure's emergence from bedrock has been read as a symbolic representation of birth, death, or the threshold between human and subterranean realms.
Archaeologist Jens Notroff, who has worked at Göbekli Tepe, has noted the "striking departure" from T-pillar conventions, suggesting that Karahantepe's builders may have been experimenting with new modes of monumental expression. Others, including Turkish prehistorian Çiğdem Köksal-Schmidt, have drawn attention to the leopard relief's prominent placement, linking it to broader patterns of feline symbolism across the PPN Near East.
What scholars agree on is that Structure AB demonstrates a level of planning, artistic skill, and communal effort that challenges outdated models of Pre-Pottery Neolithic societies as simple, egalitarian bands. The labour required to carve this chamber from solid bedrock implies coordinated leadership, specialised stone-working expertise, and a shared vision compelling enough to mobilise a community over months or years.
Panoramic view of Structure AB during excavation
Experience It
See the Pillar Shrine on a Guided Tour
Structure AB is visible from the protected walkway at Karahantepe. Our expert guides bring the chamber to life with the latest archaeological insights, placing every carved detail in its historical context.