Göbekli Tepe was first noted in a survey in 1963, but its true significance wasn't realized until 1994 when German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt visited the site. He recognized that the "flint-knapped" stones on the surface were not medieval grave markers, but something much older.

Excavations began in 1995, revealing massive T-shaped pillars arranged in circles. Radiocarbon dating stunned the world: the site dated back to roughly 9500 BCE, predating Stonehenge by 6,000 years and the Pyramids of Giza by 7,000 years.

Before Göbekli Tepe, scholars believed that complex monumental architecture was only possible after the development of agriculture and settled life. Göbekli Tepe turned this theory on its head.

The builders were hunter-gatherers, not farmers. This suggests that the urge to worship and build sacred spaces may have been the spark that led to civilization and agriculture, rather than the other way around.