The Statues and Symbolic Gestures that Link Ancient Göbekli Tepe, Easter Island, and Other Sites Around the World

Ancient monuments left by mankind present an unsolved enigma: why do humanoid statues from many prehistoric sites— from those found at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey to those at Easter Island—all share similar postures? The signature and symbolic stances displayed on the incredible statues from locations around the world raise questions about what caused humanity to collectively repeat a ‘rebirth’ theme across great distances and time.

Göbekli Tepe is situated in the city of Şanlıurfa (or Urfa) Turkey and it stands out as one of the most interesting prehistoric archaeological sites today. As a result of scientific research, Göbekli Tepe temples have been dated to 9600 BC at the earliest — in archaeological language it’s regarded as Pre-pottery Neolithic A.

Göbekli Tepe is comprised of numerous temples made up of pillars weighing between 40 and 60 tons, and T-shaped stelas, or standing stones, with intricate depictions of bulls, snakes, foxes, lions and other animals carved into the stone. Yet the awe-inspiring site was supposedly built by ‘primitive’ Neolithic people who lacked sophisticated tools, causing speculation as to how it was built and why.