The basic architecture was established early: large oval enclosures formed by stone walls, with two large central pillars standing in the middle of each enclosure and a series of smaller T-pillars set into or against the enclosure walls around the perimeter.

The pillars themselves, carved from local limestone, bore an extraordinary range of carved animal imagery.

And the whole assemblage was buried under intentional fill that had been deposited in antiquity, concealing and preserving what lay beneath.

Since Schmidt’s death, research at Göbekli Tepe has continued under the direction of Lee Clare and his colleagues at the German Archaeological Institute, with ongoing collaboration between German and Turkish researchers.

The Göbekli Tepe Research Project publishes its findings through various channels, including the Tepe Telegrams research blog, which provides updates on ongoing excavations and analysis.