Humans have been creating artwork for a very long time, with things like cave paintings coming from prehistoric humans. It is largely believed that more complex artwork, such as sculptures, couldn’t really happen until humans transitioned from hunter-gatherers to living in one area for longer periods of time.

This transition occurred when humans figured out how to cultivate crops and domesticate animals. This agricultural advancement allowed various tribes to settle in one area and create their own food.

Since they had permanent roots in an area, they could take the time to create more advanced artwork.

In 1997, the Karahan Tepe was discovered, which is believed to be one of the earliest known examples of carvings of human figures. The large site is about 12,000 years old and contains multiple rows of stone pillars.

These pillars are carved to resemble humans and animals.

The area is in southeastern Turkey, close to the border of Syria. It is being excavated by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism as part of a larger project.

The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, put out a statement about it, saying:

“During the excavations carried out as part of our Stone Hills Project, a T-shaped obelisk depicting a human face has been unearthed for the first time. This artifact, found in Karahan tepe, sheds light on human history as the first example of a Neolithic person carving themselves onto a T-shaped column. I thank the excavation team and our General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums who contributed to this important discovery.”

The large pillars are just one of many artifacts that were discovered in this area. In 2011, a study was done on the dig site, documenting 274 distinct architectural finds.

Some of the pillars displayed carvings of humans, leopards, vultures, snakes, and other animals. The complexity of these carvings shows just how advanced the artwork of these ancient human civilizations really was.

Humans moved from being hunters and gatherers to relying on agriculture and farming around 12,000 years ago. Sites like this show that one of the first things that humans do once they can settle into larger and more stable communities is to create artwork.

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