"A discovery in Turkey has suggested that ancient humans had a stronger concept of individual human identity and artistic realism much earlier than previously thought. Archaeologists working at Karahantepe, a Pre-Pottery Neolithic archaeological site in Şanlıurfa, unearthed the earliest stone carving of a human face. Karahantepe represents one of the earliest known centers of organized human culture, featuring massive T-shaped pillars and stone enclosures dating to around 10,000 BCE, making it roughly 12,000 years old."
"The T-shaped monolith bears a distinctly carved human face with deep eye sockets, a long, broad nose and sharply defined facial lines. This marks the first stone pillar found with a clear human face, turning centuries of abstract carvings into a tangible depiction of a person. For years, researchers have questioned whether the enormous T-shaped pillars were purely structural, symbolic, or a combination of both. The latest find suggested they were more than architectural support, but may be humanity's first attempt at carving itself into stone, hinting at the dawn of portraiture."
Excavations at Karahantepe in Şanlıurfa uncovered the earliest known stone carving of a human face on a T-shaped pillar dated to around 10,000 BCE, roughly 12,000 years old. The carved face features deep eye sockets, a long broad nose and sharply defined facial lines, representing the first clear stone depiction of a person from the Neolithic. Karahantepe contains massive T-shaped monoliths and stone enclosures and displays architectural sophistication, early signs of settlement and organized social structures. The carved pillar suggests the T-shaped monuments served symbolic roles beyond mere structural support and points to the emergence of portraiture.
Read at Mail Online
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