ExplainedA solid ordinary explanation fits the evidence.
The claim
"Giant carved pillars older than farming must come from a lost or alien civilisation."
Where the idea comes from
Excavations led by Klaus Schmidt from 1995 showed monuments 6,000 years older than Stonehenge, a gift to "lost civilisation" theories.
What the evidence shows
- It genuinely changed history: hunter-gatherers built monumental enclosures before farming, perhaps for gatherings and feasts.
- Excavators found the flint tools, the limestone quarries with unfinished pillars, and huge amounts of animal bone from feasting.
- The carvings show local animals (foxes, boars, snakes, vultures) in a style that develops over centuries at nearby sites such as Karahan Tepe.
- Nothing found there is made of materials or with techniques beyond the Stone Age.
What is still open
Its purpose and why it was later buried are still being studied. It's one of the most exciting open questions in archaeology, but a human one.
Our verdict
Explained A real surprise about our ancestors, not evidence of aliens.
Sources
Checked 31 October 2026. Spotted a newer source? Tell us.
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