Gobeckli Tepe: The Hunter Gatherer Temple in Eden

Some key links to the archaeology of Gobeckli Tepe, the Temple built in Eden by hunter gatherers, before the advent of agriculture:

Do These Mysterious Stones Mark the Site of the Garden of Eden?

Digging for History in Gobeckli Tepe, Turkey

Gobekli: Your Questions Answered

Wiki link to Gobeckli Tepe

I don’t know how it can get more interesting.  Hunter gatherer culture, large scale cooperation, large scale building.

Some key insights so far (only about 2% of the temple has been excavated so conclusions may be premature):

• Religion gave rise to agriculture, not the other way around
• The early religious designs are so far of animals, likely indicating an animist, non-monotheistic original religion; a spirituality grounded in the observed world, in life and in nature.
• The temple was buried in tons and tons of sand after roughly 2000 years of operation for unknown reasons
• Caucasian hunter gatherers had an advanced enough culture to organize the quarrying, moving, and sculpting of 10 to 50 ton stones; agriculture is NOT necessary for huge projects requiring the agreement of hundreds or even thousands of people
• Human health gradually deteriorated as the millennia passed and food supplies and lifestyle changed from HG to agrarian – this is consistent with agriculture’s effects everywhere
• The exact function of the place is unknown; while it is speculated it was a temple for the dead no tombs or graves have been found