Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Like us on Facebook
Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Curiosmos
No Result
View All Result

Long before the pyramids: How ancient civilizations mastered stone and sky

The oldest structures on Earth predate writing and cities. Sites in Turkey, Israel, and Indonesia suggest forgotten civilizations may have shaped history long before it was ever recorded.

Ivan PetricevicbyIvan Petricevic
April 25, 2025 - Updated on April 30, 2025
in Ancient Civilizations
An artefact recovered from Nevali Cori.

An artefact recovered from Nevali Cori.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Long before the towering pyramids of Egypt touched the sky, ancient civilizations around the world had already mastered the impossible. They moved stones heavier than modern machines could lift. They carved temples that aligned perfectly with the movements of the stars. And they did it all without writing, without steel, and without recorded history.

How ancient civilizations mastered stone and sky

History, as we know it, begins around 5,000 years ago — with writing, cities, kings, and monuments. But the Earth holds secrets that go back far further. Across Turkey, Israel, and the forgotten corners of the ancient world, there are structures carved in stone that predate everything. No texts. No empires. Just raw knowledge. And the hands that left it behind. These are some of the oldest structures on Earth. And their existence raises a question we still can’t answer: Who built them — and why?

Boncuklu Tarla

Mardin, Turkey — 12,000+ years old.

At the edge of the Tigris River in southeastern Turkey lies Boncuklu Tarla, a vast archaeological site that predates even Göbekli Tepe. What started as a salvage excavation in 2008 quickly turned into one of the most surprising prehistoric discoveries of our time.

Related Posts

The Pleiades Star Cluster, subject of countless myths and legends from time immemorial. Credit: Caltech, Palomar Observatory, Digitized Sky Survey

Myths About the Pleiades Star Cluster Span Back 100,000 Years

December 23, 2020 - Updated on January 21, 2024
A photograph of the ancient city of Teotihuacan

Here Are 3 of the Largest Ancient Mesoamerican Cities You’ve Probably Never Heard About

August 30, 2020 - Updated on January 21, 2024

The site features a massive communal structure, believed to be a temple, with a floor plan unlike anything else from that period. Built with megalithic pillars and equipped with a sophisticated sewage system, it points to early examples of planning and social organization. Some researchers suggest it could be one of the first known instances of sacred architecture in human history. Despite its significance, Boncuklu Tarla remains largely unknown. Its secrets are still buried beneath layers of time and soil.

Çakmaktepe

Şanlıurfa, Turkey — Possibly older than Göbekli Tepe.

Çakmaktepe is one of the newest and most enigmatic discoveries from the so-called “Stone Hills Project,” a regional survey that has uncovered dozens of previously undocumented prehistoric sites. Located in the same region as Göbekli Tepe, it might prove to be even older.

Although excavation is still underway, Çakmaktepe has already revealed stone enclosures, sculptural fragments, and evidence of deliberate alignment with celestial bodies. If future research confirms its age, this site could completely shift our understanding of early ritual spaces and the people who built them.

Ohalo II

One of the oldest structures on earth is certainly Ohalo II. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
One of the oldest stuctures on Earth is certainly Ohalo II. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Sea of Galilee, Israel — 23,000 years old.

Long before farming and long before stone temples, there was Ohalo II, a lakeside encampment buried by rising waters near the Sea of Galilee. Discovered in 1989, this site offers a rare glimpse into life during the Ice Age. It includes six brush huts, fireplaces, tools, and the remains of more than 100 plant species, including some early cultivated grasses.

Dated to around 23,000 years ago, it challenges our understanding of when humans began to live in permanent or semi-permanent communities. Ohalo II pushes back the timeline of settlement and suggests that our ancestors were experimenting with cultivation thousands of years before the rise of agriculture.

Nevalı Çori

Southeastern Turkey — Early Neolithic.

Before it was submerged by the waters of a dam, Nevalı Çori offered a rare glimpse into early Neolithic culture and symbolic life. Excavated during the 1980s and 1990s, the site revealed rectangular buildings, stone sculptures, and some of the earliest signs of ritual practices built into architecture.

Its layout shares striking similarities with Göbekli Tepe, including the T-shaped pillars and carved animal figures. Some archaeologists believe Nevalı Çori was not an isolated case but part of a broader cultural tradition that lasted for centuries, possibly even longer.

Rather than being a one-off achievement, this site seems to be a missing piece of a much older and still unfolding story about where we came from and how we lived.

Gunung Padang

The top of Gunung Padang. This ancient site is one of the most controversial. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
The top of Gunung Padang. This ancient site is one of the most controversial. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

West Java, Indonesia — Dates controversial.

Gunung Padang is a mysterious hill crowned by stone terraces which were long assumed to be a natural formation modified in recent centuries. But deeper scans and excavations suggest something far more ancient beneath the surface.

Some researchers claim parts of the structure could date as far back as 20,000 BCE, based on radiocarbon samples from buried layers. The site features polygonal stonework, underground chambers, and what some believe could be remnants of a forgotten culture lost to time.

The dating is hotly debated, but if proven accurate, Gunung Padang would be the oldest known structure on Earth — and its origin would force a massive rewrite of human prehistory.

The Importance of These Sites

These ancient sites don’t fit the story we usually hear. We’re taught that humans started as simple foragers, then became farmers, and eventually built cities. But these places suggest something different. They hint at a much older world where people may have had complex ideas, shared beliefs, and skills we still don’t fully understand.

The history we learn is often based on what has been uncovered. But what about the things we haven’t found yet? Or the discoveries we’ve pushed aside because they don’t fit the expected timeline?

These places remind us that our picture of the past is incomplete. And maybe the most important part of history is not what we already know, but what we’ve chosen to overlook.

If these sites truly predate civilization, then we’re forced to ask: Is history what we’ve discovered — or only what we’ve chosen to remember?

Share157Tweet98Share27ShareSend
Ivan Petricevic

Ivan Petricevic

I've been writing passionately about ancient civilizations, history, alien life, and various other subjects for more than eight years. You may have seen me appear on Discovery Channel's What On Earth series, History Channel's Ancient Aliens, and Gaia's Ancient Civilizations among others.

Related Posts

An aerial view of the monumental structures in the Saudi Arabian desert. Image Credit: Oxford University.
Ancient Civilizations

Ancient Blueprints of Megastructures Unearthed: The Oldest in Human History

May 18, 2023 - Updated on February 1, 2025
The inside of the stepwell. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 4.0.
Ancient Civilizations

Here Are 5 Stunning Images of the Ancient Rani Ki Vav Stepwell in India

May 25, 2019 - Updated on May 16, 2023
A photograph of a shipwreck. YAYIMAGES.
Ancient Civilizations

The Mystery of Shipwrecks: How Many Are There in the World?

March 9, 2023
Petra - one of the most enigmatic ancient places.
Ancient Civilizations

Forgotten Cities: The Lost Civilizations Time Left Behind

March 21, 2023
The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan. Shutterstock.
Ancient Civilizations

Teotihuacan and its Ancient Pyramids are Home to an Extensive Underground World

July 13, 2019 - Updated on January 22, 2024
There is a brand new theory about the construction of Stonehenge that involves a clever machine. Credit: Jumpstory
Ancient Civilizations

Did Stonehenge Builders Use Long-Lost Ancient Technology To Move Massive Stones?

July 8, 2021 - Updated on January 21, 2024
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Fair Use Notice
  • DMCA / Removal
  • Impressum
  • Contact
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Ethics Policy
  • Ownership and Funding Information
  • Impressum
CURIOSMOS.COM

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists