Dr. Lee Clare Revealed the Latest Findings from Göbeklitepe
Washington, D.C. - The Yunus Emre Institute hosted over 100 guests for the fourth edition of the Ancient Wonders Lecture Series. On March 12th, the institute was joined by archaeologist Dr. Lee Clare for a discussion about his work at Göbeklitepe. Dr. Clare is the Lead Archaeologist at the site representing the German Archaeological Institute. The site was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018.
Dr. Clare opened his presentation by discussing the recent developments in how Turkey has protected the site and how visitors have been enjoying it. He showed examples of the typical T-pillars that the site is famous for and gave some possible interpretations of its imagery. He later discussed some of the recent finds at the site. For example, researchers discovered the transition from round to square buildings. He was very excited about a grave that was found under the floor of the ruins of a home because it provided more evidence that the area was a permanent settlement rather than an unoccupied temple structure as has been suggested in the past. He finished his presentation by placing Göbeklitepe in its historical context by comparing it to other nearby sites.
There were many curious guests in the audience who posed some really intriguing questions to Dr. Clare. One guest, for example, had a question about the amount of T-shaped pillars that had been built by the people at Göbeklitepe. Dr. Clare could not speak to the quantity of T-shaped pillars that there are because the site is still being actively uncovered but he did stress that these pillars were most likely used for architectural purposes. Another guest wanted to know more about the construction process of these pillars, especially if they were used for architectural support. Dr. Clare explained that they had to cut and place the stones themselves, which was something that they were probably used to doing at that point. He went on to elaborate that they were cut from limestone, which is considered to be a softer rock to cut but difficult nonetheless. This was an incredibly successful and engaging event that had many guests with some really fascinating questions that Dr. Clare was more than happy to answer.
Yunus Emre Institute is a Turkish cultural center located in Washington, D.C. and around the world. The institute hosts events and programs that educate the public about Turkey’s culture, history, and language. For more information about the institute’s mission or online programs, please email washingtondc@yee.org.tr or follow @yeewdc on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.