The Vulture Stone of Gobekli Tepe: The World’s First Pictogram?

An article in the archeology section of the Hürriet Daily News published in July of this year announced the world’s earliest pictogram had been discovered at the archeological site of Göbekli Tepe, southeast Turkey. Though it was not specified what example was being referred to, it is clear that Müslüm Ercan, Director of the Șanliurfa Museum, was referencing a scene depicted on the west-facing side of Pillar 43 of Enclosure D. Pillar 43 is known more widely as the ‘vulture stone’. Not long after, the UK’s Daily Mail picked up the story and had me say that I thought the disk, or orb, seen above the vulture’s extended left wing showed the sun. While this is not untrue, the following remarks clarify why I believe this to be the case.

The Vulture Stone of Göbekli Tepe.