My doctoral journey to Göbekli Tepe in Turkey!

Beginning in August 2024, I'll be doing dissertation research at Göbekli Tepe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southeastern Turkey for two months... and I need a little boost to get there!

All contributions gain access to the Interactive Lecture Series first session in August 2024 (a 60-minute live Zoom (and recorded) session with Q+A to follow). Giving at or above $150 gains access to the first and second session (August and September 2024) and giving at or above $200 gains access to all three of the sessions (Aug., Sept., and Oct. 2024). (And then the interactive lecture series and space for community will continue monthly after my return from this research trip... more word on that soon!) More information: https://youtu.be/9sZ1Y6yezmI

Your contributions will support the cost of travel to Istanbul, travel to the site outside of Sanliurfa, in southeastern Turkey, and room and board and living costs while in-country for 2+ months.

While studies have unearthed groundbreaking insights into the potential social, religious and technological implications of Göbekli Tepe, an exploration of the mythological dimensions, through iconography, architecture, oral histories and beyond has yet to be conducted. One of the oldest human-built sites yet uncovered, Göbekli Tepe is a massive complex of structures in southeastern Turkey which began construction as early as 9500 BCE. As a doctoral candidate in comparative mythology, my research will explore how this site’s builders conceived of their place on Earth and in the world and cosmos and how elements of the site may compare to the extant oral traditions to illuminate the site’s builders’ concept of world and cosmos.

Invited as a special guest and under the on-site advisement of Dr. Lee Clare, with consultation from Dr. Gillian Alban, Professor of Mythology and English Literature at Istanbul Kultur University, and in collaboration with Cem Alfar and the Federation for Asian Storytellers (FEAST), I will undertake an interdisciplinary examination of this site’s mythological significance.

My research will explore the following questions: 1) What themes emerge from local oral histories and what meaningful parallels might exist between the site’s iconography and various oral traditions, including those from various cultures and traditions, both sedentary and migratory, and what narratives might the site’s builders have held about their place, living and inhabiting the land within a particular concept of cosmos?, and 2) How do the immediate and present-day communities reflect upon and make meaning about this “ancient” archaeological site and how might community engagement enrich an archaeological study?

Thank you for your support and cheers as I springboard into this incredible opportunity! I invite you to journey along with me, with regular updates and insights shared along the way.

(photo cred: Kira Kull)