Gobekli Tepe, Turkey, 1994
Until 1994, Gobekli Tepe was thought to be an abandoned medieval burial ground. However, German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt discovered it was something rather more astonishing. He found vast limestone pillars, towering up to 16 feet tall and set in circles, along with pulverized human and animal bones.
It’s now thought that this could be the world’s oldest religious complex, built some 12,000 years ago. Six temples have been excavated, but geomagnetic surveys suggest there may be 18 more.
