Publication Cover
History of Education
Journal of the History of Education Society
Volume 53, 2024 - Issue 3
174
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

What if Göbekli Tepe was an Open School? A Thought-Provoking Approach to the Genesis of Cultural Revolution

ORCID Icon
Pages 460-476 | Received 16 Jan 2023, Accepted 14 Aug 2023, Published online: 04 Apr 2024
 

ABSTRACT

This pioneering study investigates the transformative shift in the nature of education during the Neolithic revolution, utilising Göbekli Tepe’s role as an archaic open school that attested to this change. This exploration is underpinned by the premise that “if education is a process of acculturation, its origins must be sought in the cultural revolution of humans.” Beyond the conceptual boundaries of the dominant western ontology, the open schooling role of Göbekli Tepe considers indigenous social ontology. In this study, the educational role of Göbekli Tepe has been examined in the symbolism of local culture, its special pilgrimage and storytelling traditions. This study hypothesises that Göbekli Tepe is an archaic open school that was a testament to the cultural revolution of humans.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Binford, “Archaeology as Anthropology,” 217.

2. Taş Tepeler literally means Stone Hills. Taş Tepeler is an Anatolian and Upper Mesopotamian region that held protected areas in Şanlıurfa, consisting of Göbekli Tepe and 11 other archaeological sites around it.

3. This phrase is also known as the Neolithic Revolution. The term “Neolithic Revolution” was first coined by Australian archaeologist V. Gordon Childe, to describe a period of radical and significant change during which humans began cultivating plants, keeping animals and establishing permanent settlements.

4. Svizzero, “Persistent Controversies,” 13.

5. Holtorf, “Archaeology, Communication, and Society,” 149.

6. Mason, “Education and American History,” 187.

7. Bishop, “Mathematical Acculturation,” 193; Young, Critical Theory and Classroom Talk.

8. Hieke et al., “The Ancient Near East,” 9.

9. Toggweiler and Lea, “Temperature Differences.”

10. Levy et al., “Harnessing Paleohydrologic Modeling,” 16349.

11. Weisdorf, “From Foraging to Farming,” 561; Simmons, The Neolithic Revolution in the Near East.

12. Santana et al., “Multi-Isotope Evidence,” 1.

13. Altınışık et al., “A Genomic Snapshot,” 9.

14. Cooper and Alder, “Evolution of Adaptive Immune Systems,” 815.

15. Korol, “Göbekli Tepe and Norte Chico.”

16. Dietrich et al., “Markers of ‘Psycho-Cultural’ Change,” 311.

17. Zeder, “Neolithic Macro-(r) Evolution,” 1.

18. Cauvin, The Birth of the Gods and the Origins of Agriculture.

19. Henley, “On Prehistoric Psychology,” 211; Henley and Reysen, “Social Cognition at Göbekli Tepe,” 49.

20. Pumpelly first introduced OT in 1908’ it was iterated by Newberry in 1924, and popularised by Gordon Childe in the 1920s according to Oxford Reference, 2022.

21. Svizzero and Tisdell, “Theories about the Commencement of Agriculture,” 255.

22. Willcox, “Wild Cereals’ Domestication,” 534.

23. Luikart et al., “Maternal Origins in Domestic Goats,” 5927; Zeder, “Domestication in the Mediterranean Basin,” 11597.

24. The 12 protected areas of Taş Tepeler, including Harbetsuvan Tepesi, Gürcütepe, Kurttepesi, Taşlıtepe, Sefertepe, Ayanlar, Yogunburç, Sayburç, Çakmaktepe and Yeni Mahalle are located in an area of 200 km2 around the Harran plain. They have been identified as significant gathering places for clans with different cultures.

25. Watkins, “Cultural Dimension of Cognition,” 91.

26. Dietrich and Schmidt, “Radiocarbon Date from Göbekli Tepe.”

27. Broecker et al., “Younger Dryas Cold Event,” 1078.

28. Watkins, “Neolithic Revolution in South-West Asia,” 621.

29. Dietrich et al., “Pre-Pottery Neolithic Stone Troughs,” 102618.

30. Schmidt, “Göbekli Tepe-Enclosure C,” 27; Schmidt, “Göbekli Tepe,” 187.

31. Dietrich et al., “Investigating the Function of Stone Troughs,” 102618.

32. Schmidt, “Göbekli Tepe-Enclosure C,” 27.

33. Pöllath et al., “Almost a Chest Hit,” 30.

34. Marean, “Hunter to Herder,” 65; Sapir-Hen et al., “Human Hunting,” 1.

35. Pöllath et al., “Almost a Chest Hit,” 30.

36. Belfer-Cohen and Bar-Yosef, “Early Sedentism,” 19; Yeshurun et al., “Role of Foxes,” 1.

37. Blockley and Pinhasi, “Revised Chronology,” 98.

38. Fagan, “Hungry Architecture,” 318.

39. Dewey, How We Think.

40. Nida-Rümelin, “Self-Awareness,” 55.

41. Silvia and O’Brien, “Self-Awareness,” 475.

42. Leary and Buttermore, “Evolution of the Human Self,” 365.

43. Watkins, “Cultural Dimension of Cognition,” 91.

44. Altınışık et al., “A Genomic Snapshot,” 1.

45. Karul, “Buried Buildings at Karahantepe,” 21.

46. Soffer et al., “The ‘Venus’ Figurines,” 511.

47. Henley, “Introducing Göbekli Tepe to Psychology,” 477.

48. Boyd and Richerson, “Cooperation in Foraging Societies,” 21944.

49. Watkins, “From Pleistocene to Holocene,” 1.

50. Gintis, “Sociobiology,” 284.

51. Dunbar et al., Social Life Shaped the Human Mind.

52. Mithen, “Misapplication of Social Intelligence,” 705.

53. Dietrich et al., “Feasting, Social Complexity,” 91.

54. Henley, “Introducing Göbekli Tepe to Psychology,” 477.

55. Schmandt-Besserat, “About ‘Hieroglyphs’,” 39.

56. Hodder, Origin of Settled Life.

57. Marrou, Education in Antiquity; Çığır Dikyol, “Tarihöncesi Dönemde Eğitim,” 160; Zehnder, “How it All Began,” 35.

58. See, Dewey, “John Dewey on Education.”

59. Fagan, “Hungry Architecture,” 318.

60. Kervankıran, “Last Residents of Göbekli Tepe,” 29.

61. Richter et al., “Interaction Before Agriculture,” 95.

62. Schmidt, “Göbekli Tepe,” 105; Schmidt, “Göbekli Tepe, 1995–1999 Excavations,” 4; Dietrich et al., “Cereal Processing at Göbekli Tepe,” 10.

63. Henley, “Introducing Göbekli Tepe to Psychology,” 481.

64. Schmidt, “Göbekli Tepe,” 105; Dietrich et al., “Feasting, Social Complexity,” 91.

65. Henley, “Introducing Göbekli Tepe to Psychology,” 480.

66. Smith “Evolution of Hunter-Gatherer Storytelling,” 1.

67. Hill, “Echoes of Native American Storytelling,” 12.

68. Öz, “Storytelling in Anatolian Culture,” 187.

69. Tayanç, “Sıra Gecesi,” 37.

70. Henley, “Introducing Göbekli Tepe to Psychology,” 482.

71. Schmidt, “Göbekli Tepe–the Stone Age Sanctuaries,” 239.

72. Stordeur, “Jerf el Ahmar (Syria), 1997–1999,” 1; Mellaart, Catal Huyhuk.

73. Dietrich et al., “The Role of Cult and Feasting,” 687.

74. Smith, et al. “Evolution of Hunter-Gatherer Storytelling,” 2.

75. Dietrich et al., “The Role of Cult and Feasting,” 687.

76. Smith, et al. “Evolution of Hunter-Gatherer Storytelling,” 2.

77. Henley, “Introducing Göbekli Tepe to Psychology,” 480.

78. Watkins, “From Pleistocene to Holocene,” 1.

79. Henley, “Introducing Göbekli Tepe to Psychology,” 477.

80. Holdstock, “Cognitive Revolution,” 819; Falikman and Cole, “‘Cultural Revolution’ in Cognitive Science,” 1.

81. Coolidge and Wynn, The Rise of Homo Sapiens.

82. Dietrich et al., “The Role of Cult and Feasting,” 687; Fagan, “Hungry Architecture,” 318; Pöllath et al., “Almost a Chest Hit,” 30.

83. Fagan, “Hungry Architecture,” 318.

84. Henley, “Introducing Göbekli Tepe to Psychology,” 483.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 654.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.