Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery at Sefertepe in eastern Turkey, pushing the site into the center of scholarly attention. The 8,500-year-old micro-carved bead and 10,000-year-old skull room uncovered reveal a complex symbolic world in Neolithic Anatolia.
Sefertepe’s significance lies not in its architectural grandeur, but in the intricate symbolism crafted into its stones, beads, and mortuary practices. A small stone block bearing two human faces was discovered, with one face carved in high relief and the other in a shallower, ghostlike form. The contrast suggests separate identities or social roles.
A tiny, polished bead carved from dense black basalt, also bearing two human faces, was found among dozens of beads recovered this year. This craftsmanship is rare in early Neolithic Near East, suggesting Sefertepe’s artisans were skilled in micro-carving. The presence of the bead raises questions about its function and highlights the community’s symbolic lexicon extending beyond architecture into personal ornamentation.
Further discoveries include a stone block with snake-head shapes and geometric incisions, indicating long-distance exchange networks or procurement routes. Archaeologists uncovered a small chamber where 22 human skulls had been deliberately placed, with most lacking mandibles. The skull room’s arrangement suggests a layered ritual landscape in which skulls held shifting symbolic roles.
The site’s discoveries show that Sefertepe’s symbolic world operated at multiple scales, with reliefs conveying layered meanings, micro-carved beads embodying personal identity or ritual function, and human skulls shaping relationships between the living and the dead. As excavation continues, Sefertepe is expected to play a larger role in understanding early Neolithic belief systems.
The site proves that Neolithic symbolism was not a monolith but a mosaic, where even the smallest object could carry significant meaning. The discovery of micro-carved beads and ancient skull room now stand as powerful reminders of the intricacies of ancient symbolic expression.
Source: https://arkeonews.net/an-8500-year-old-micro-carved-bead-and-a-10000-year-old-skull-room-reveal-sefertepes-hidden-symbolic-world