At Göbekli Tepe, megaliths are arranged in circular formations with several formations stacked on top of one another, and each completed circle was covered with dirt before construction resumed above it.
Notes on verification
The traditional intentional-burial narrative is well-documented and repeated across Britannica, Smithsonian, and other sources, originating with excavator Klaus Schmidt. However, more recent (post-2020) research from German Archaeological Institute suggests the burial may have been partly or largely due to natural processes (earthquakes, landslides, building collapse) rather than deliberate infilling, complicating the claim as stated. [tier=unverified indep_score=0.3 clusters=3 claim_tier=notable] [rescored 2026-09-15: curated origin-host map (PR #65); unclassified hosts no longer scored as aggregators]
Sources
- Gobekli Tepe | Neolithic, Prehistoric, Monument, & Map (seed:history_and_archaeology)
- Gobekli Tepe: The World's First Temple? - Smithsonian Magazine (seed:history_and_archaeology)
- Features - Last Stand of the Hunter-Gatherers? - May/June 2021 (seed:history_and_archaeology)
- https://factsanddetails.com/world/cat56/sub362/entry-6007.html (corroboration)