Even what has been discovered and studied, a small fraction of the total site, has already transformed the conversation about the origins of human social complexity, the history of monumental architecture, and the social world of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic.

What the unexcavated portions of the site contain is unknown but potentially extraordinary.

The site’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018 reflects international recognition of its significance and supports both its preservation and its continued study.

The management of the site must balance the needs of ongoing research — which requires excavation and analysis — against the preservation imperatives that seek to protect what has not yet been excavated from disturbance, and against the increasing pressure of tourism, which brings both resources and risks to the site.

The international research community’s engagement with Göbekli Tepe has benefited enormously from the decades of work by the German Archaeological Institute and from the collaboration with Turkish institutions and with the Turkish government’s increasing investment in the site and its associated monuments.