Some researchers have proposed that periodic feasting events were among the primary social functions of Göbekli Tepe: that communities from across the surrounding region came together at this place for gatherings that combined ritual and ceremonial activities with communal eating and social interaction.

The construction of the monuments may have been part of this process — the labor of building serving as one of the forms of collective activity that defined and reinforced the social bonds among the participating groups.

Evidence for the processing of wild cereals at and near the site — including stone grinding tools and microscopic remains of plant material — suggests that some form of grain processing was taking place.

This is significant because it suggests that plant-based food was available and consumed at the site, and it raises questions about the relationship between the gatherings at Göbekli Tepe and the early history of grain cultivation in the region.