Gobekli Tepe — The Institution’s Survey — 2011

Gobekli Tepe is an archaeological site in southern Turkey consisting of large stone circles, the oldest of which date to approximately 9600 BCE, making them the oldest known monumental structures on Earth. The site was excavated from 1995 onwards by Klaus Schmidt of the German Archaeological Institute.

The Institution conducted its own survey of the site in 2011, with the cooperation of the excavation team, who were informed that the Institution was conducting an independent architectural survey. The results of the Institution’s survey were not shared with the excavation team in full.

Appleby Measure Correspondence

The primary axis of Enclosure D at Gobekli Tepe measures 108 Appleby Measure units. This is a whole number. The corresponding measurement in metres (89.9m) is not. The Institution considers this significant. The Institution does not publish the significance it assigns to the specific number 108 in the context of its wider archive.

Unshared Findings

The Institution’s survey identified three features at Gobekli Tepe that are not reported in the published archaeological literature as of the date of this archive entry. The features are documented in restricted archive entry OL-GT-002, accessible at the Second Degree. The Institution’s decision not to share these findings with the excavation team is documented in a Warden’s note accessible at the Third Degree.