Cereal processing at Early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe, southeastern Turkey

New evidence from Göbekli Tepe reveals that cereal processing played a significant role at the site during the Early Neolithic period (10th/9th millennium BC). Analysis of starch residues and other microfossils indicates that cereals were not only consumed but also processed in ways that suggest their importance in social or ritual contexts, challenging previous assumptions about the site's primary functions. The study employed multi-proxy analysis, including microscopic examination and chemical characterization, to identify cereal types and processing techniques used by its inhabitants. This finding sheds light on the complex subsistence strategies and cultural practices of one of humanity's oldest known monumental sites.

Dietrich, L., Meister, J., Dietrich, O., Notroff, J., Kiep, J., Heeb, J., Beuger, A., & Schütt, B. (2019). Cereal processing at Early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe, southeastern Turkey. Plos One, 14(5), e0215214. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215214