99 replies to this topic

[Floppin]

It has long been considered the world's oldest temple and even thought by some to be the site of the Garden of Eden.

But a scientist has claimed that the Gobekli Tepe stones in Turkey, built in 9,000 BC and 6,500 years older than Stonehenge, could instead be a giant home 'built for men not gods'.

Ted Banning, a professor at the University of Toronto, has branded it 'one of the world's biggest garbage dumps,' with piles of animal bones, tools and charcoal found there proving that it was an ancient home rather than a religious site.

When excavation started at Gobekli Tepe in southern Turkey in 1994, archaeologists were sure it was a temple and largely uninhabited.

Remarkably it was deliberately buried under thousands of tonnes of soil and only a small amount of the 20-acre area has been excavated since its discovery.

The incredible site was put up long before humans mastered language or skills like pottery or metal work, making it one of the true wonders of the world pre-dating any previously discovered religious site by 1,000 years.

Professor Banning has shaken up the theory behind its construction, not questioning its age, but saying that rubbish surrounding the intricately carved giant stones, which are up to five metres high and weigh 16 tonnes, prove it was a settlement.

It is possible that a giant roof could have been placed on top of the giant pillars, which are engraved with snakes, scorpions, foxes, and other animals.

To date, around 45 of these stones have been dug out - they are arranged in circles from five to ten yards across.

http://www.dailymail...enge-house.html

So how many of you honestly believe that this structure, built over 11,000years ago, was done by a bunch of grunting hunter gatherers who couldn't even communicate? They had no basic developed language, writing, or math skills, yet they moved, assembled and constructed HUGE carved stones ,with intricate images on them, into a massive dwelling all while lacking the ability to properly communicate?

I'll believe that when me poo turns purple and smells of rainbow sherbet.

[Panthro]

Cro-magnon Steve Jobs

[Darth Biscuit]

Mmmmm... rainbow sherbet.

[Happy Panther]

Looks like a bunch of messy rocks to me.

Big Whoop

[Davidson Deac II]

Arrogance?

[cookinwithgas]

Why would they make pictures of car doors unless they were time travelers? It's the only explanation!

It's also possible that it was a temple that was later inhabited by folks not as religiously inclined as the builders I would guess.

[Floppin]

Yeah, I think it's arrogant when faced with evidence to the contrary to just state, "well this is amazing because these people couldn't communicate". It's a common symptom of scientific research though, when faced with subject matter that doesn't fit into commonly accepted knowledge the usual route taken is to somehow work these anomalies into their theories with some bogus explanation rather than admitting that they could have been wrong to begin with.

[Happy Panther]

Arrogance?

Are you noting the irony of the thread title?

I didn't think anyone else would notice it.

[Floppin]

Why would they make pictures of car doors unless they were time travelers? It's the only explanation!

It's also possible that it was a temple that was later inhabited by folks not as religiously inclined as the builders I would guess.

Very possible, but that isn't really the big issue to me, whether it was a temple or a house, but that some scientists are claiming that this structure was built by a race of people that lacked the ability to have sophisticated communication.

[Davidson Deac II]

Are you noting the irony of the thread title?

I didn't think anyone else would notice it.

Honestly, no I didn't think about that way, but you are right.


I was asking where is the arrogance in the article? We don't always get ancient history right, but that doesn't necessarily indicate arrogance.

As far as the animal bones and other garbage, well we have food at church sometimes, maybe the ancients did as well. And since they didn't have the government picking up garbage for them, maybe they just put it close to the building. Who knows why its there. Or maybe it served as both a temple and housing.

Edited by Davidson Deac II, 20 October 2011 - 08:55 AM.

[Floppin]

Are you noting the irony of the thread title?

I didn't think anyone else would notice it.

You think it's ironic that I think that our archaeological scientific community is arrogant to assume that they know so much about our natural history as a race?

[Floppin]

Honestly, no I didn't think about that way, but you are right.


I was asking where is the arrogance in the article? We don't always get ancient history right, but that doesn't necessarily indicate arrogance.

As far as the animal bones and other garbage, well we have food at church sometimes, maybe the ancients did as well. And since they didn't have the government picking up garbage for them, maybe they just put it close to the building. Who knows why its there. Or maybe it served as both a temple and housing.

I agree, we don't, but when you refuse to admit that you could be wrong, I see arrogance.

[Mr. Belding]

You think it's ironic that I think that our archaeological scientific community is arrogant to assume that they know so much about our natural history as a race?

dude, there's a picture of a bird playing volleyball. can't fug with that.

[Inimicus]

Paleolithic art is nothing new

This is thought to be over 17,000 years old:


which is 6,000 years older than those carvings.

Not to mention according to this article http://www.latimes.c...,0,553090.story people may have been using paint to express themselves 100,000 years ago.

[Floppin]

Paleolithic art is nothing new

This is thought to be over 17,000 years old:


which is 6,000 years older than those carvings.

Not to mention according to this article http://www.latimes.c...,0,553090.story people may have been using paint to express themselves 100,000 years ago.

Cave drawings are slightly different that sophisticated construction and carving.