The "Stone Hills Project" ("Taş Tepeler Projesi"), which also includes Göbeklitepe, the site considered the zero-point of human civilization, was introduced through a panel held in the German capital Berlin.
In the panel held at the Turkish Embassy in Berlin, Göbeklitepe-Karahantepe excavation director and lecturer at Istanbul University Necmi Karul, director of the Berlin Museum for Asia Minor, Barbara Helwing, and German Archaeological Institute official Lee Clare made presentations on the project and Turkish-German archaeological cooperation.
"If you look for a deep-rooted relationship between the two countries, we can probably find such in the world 'between Türkiye and Germany.' The speech given by professor Helwing shows how the archaeological history between the two countries has come to this day both in terms of individuals and projects. What we have to do is to build a new dimension to the existing one," excavation head Karul stated.
Karul also added that in the project, studies are carried out with the participation of a German university, institute and museum. Emphasizing that archaeology, like all branches of science, is a developing field, Karul said that the science of archeology has gained new dimensions by bringing together the knowledge of different universities around the world to further their understanding.
As part of the Stone Hills Project, Karahantepe, Harbetsuvan, Gürcütepe, Kurttepesi, Taşlıtepe, Sefertepe, Ayanlar, Yoğunburç, Sayburç, Çakmaktepe and Yenimahalle are being examined. As far as it is known, the project area is the first example of sedentism and social union on Earth. In addition, human beings experimented with examples of organized labor and specialization for the first time in the same area.
Excavations at 9 different points
Karul stated that it is crucial to highlight the "Stone Hills Project," especially in terms of the involvement of different scientists from various nations.
"Within the scope of this project, excavations are carried out at nine different points in Şanlıurfa. The teams carrying out these excavations are people from different countries, universities and traditions. Its simultaneous execution means that the scientists involved in the projects are in an interactive relationship with each other. This situation has landmark contributions to the archaeology and prehistoric archaeology of our country, as well as to international cooperation. Learning from each other throughout the excavation process will contribute to the development of archaeological studies in Türkiye," Karul added.
Referring to the fact that the Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy also highlighted the international aspect of the Stone Hills Project, Karul underlined that they plan to increase the number of international collaborations.
Photography exhibition
Director of the Berlin Museum of Asia Minor, Barbara Helwing made a presentation on "Turkish-German Archaeological Cooperation from Past to Present."
In her presentation, Helwing listed the most important factors in Turkish-German cooperation as historical opportunities, political will, people, friendship, continuity and trust.
Also, the panel hosted the opening of the photography exhibition revealing the scenes from Karahantepe, one of the most important settlements of the Neolithic period located in Şanlıurfa.