Göbekli Tepe's Building D measures at least 65 feet across and contains two freestanding central limestone pillars that are 18 feet tall and weigh an estimated eight tons each.
Notes on verification
Corroborated by original Archaeology Magazine article, Templeton.org, German Archaeological Institute's Tepe Telegrams blog, and Google Arts & Culture/UNESCO source. Minor variation in weight estimate (8-10 tons) but core figures consistent across independent sources. [tier=unverified indep_score=0.3 clusters=4 claim_tier=notable] [rescored 2026-09-15: curated origin-host map (PR #65); unclassified hosts no longer scored as aggregators]
Sources
- Features - Last Stand of the Hunter-Gatherers? - May/June 2021 (seed:history_and_archaeology)
- https://www.dainst.blog/the-tepe-telegrams/2016/05/03/how-did-they-do-it-making-and-moving-monoliths-at-gobekli-tepe/ (corroboration)
- https://www.templeton.org/news/gobekli-tepe (corroboration)
- https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/building-d-g%C3%B6bekli-tepe/6AF23w0Z3LUmFA?hl=en (corroboration)
- https://gobekli-tepe.com/structures/enclosure-d/ (corroboration)