Gōbekli Tepe: The Symbolism Of The Serpent And The Fox
Archaeological excavation and research at Gōbekli Tepe; that incredible ancient megalithic sacred site from an era of at least 12,000 years ago located in modern day Turkey; called by many the world’s first temple and the cradle of the gods; is still in its infancy compared to the age of the site, but what is emerging about early cultures and civilizations is both tantalizing and incredible. At this point four megalithic stone circles (denoted as A, B, C, and D) are in the process of being excavated and analyzed along with two additional sites denoted as E and F.
It is no longer disputed that many ancient megalithic sites around the world were created as spiritual symbolic sites, as Axis Mundis; places that connected heaven and earth. Researchers have already considered Gōbekli Tepe to be, in part, a heavenly observatory. Such sites are cultural Axis Mundis, and their symbolism and use accentuates the concept of uniting heaven and earth at these sites. To quote Dr. Susan Ryan, Crow Canyon's director of archaeology referencing ancestral Puebloan sites: “Architecture is the place where the ethereal and nonmaterial qualities of the cosmos were interpreted by ancient architects and emphasized in material form. Architecture communicates culturally prescribed, and accepted, information to the observer about Pueblo cosmology.” This observation can be applied to all such sites, as they were designed not only as physical structures to observe the skies, they were also designed symbolically to link the society’s cultural spirituality, bringing heaven and earth together. From time immemorial societies have linked their lore and spiritual philosophy to the great canvas of the heavens.
The Summer Triangle At Gōbekli Tepe
A 2020- article titled Israeli Archaeologists Find Hidden Pattern at ‘World’s Oldest Temple’ Göbekli Tepe in Haaretz, refers to Israeli archaeologists who have identified deliberately created triangle geometry between the stone circles, B, C, and D: “Their study of the three oldest stone enclosures at Göbekli Tepe has revealed a hidden geometric pattern, specifically an equilateral triangle, underlying the entire architectural plan of these structures”. This discovery aided in validating the current author’s postulation on the importance of serpentine symbolism of the triangle at Gōbekli Tepe.
Aerial view of Gōbekli Tepe circular enclosures A, B, C and D (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Triangular Pattern (Image: Provided by Donald B Carroll)
Triangle symbolism has a long history in many ancient cultures, connected or yoked to the heavens and stars above. This connection is specifically identified as the stellar asterism known as the “Summer Triangle” consisting of the stars; Deneb, Vega, and Altair. Multiple other researchers have agreed upon the alignments of these stone circles towards the star Deneb: concurring that Deneb, in the era of Gōbekli Tepe, would have been a significant circumpolar star in the northern sky and these stone circles have been identified as having North-South alignment. Circumpolar stars, stars that never set, considered eternal stars have always been important in cultures. The significance of an observation of the circumpolar stars of the Summer Triangle by the earliest societies has also been identified by Dr. Michael Rappengluck, an archeoastronomer, and confirmed by his peers, in the symbolic cave paintings of Lascaux circa 16,500 BC, about 4,000 years before Gōbekli Tepe.
At Gōbekli Tepe, the greater stellar palette of the Summer Triangle and its reflection in the triangular geometric design connecting enclosures B, C, and D, may represent symbolically the tip of a serpent head with its body being the Milky Way. The Milky Way has a long ancient history as symbolically representing a serpent.
CyberSky 5 planetarium program set at Turkey 12/21/10500 BC (Image: © Donald B Carroll)
The triangular serpent head - the Summer Triangle, including Deneb - is located at the Northern point of the sky, slightly East of due North. (The yellow outlined triangle). Then from this serpent head going the entire length of the sky is the Milky Way, the serpent’s body. It has already been demonstrated that Gōbekli Tepe enclosures B, C and D have a North-South alignment and their design geometry is that of a triangle, so the comparison remains on firm ground or sky, as the case may be.
