Earth’s oldest ‘obscene’ statue of a man found in Turkey

Naturalistic sculpture surprised archaeologists

An unusual 2.3m tall statue with a frontal depiction of a man holding his phallus with both hands was discovered near a Mesolithic temple in Turkey. The ancient statue was found at a prehistoric site known as Karahan Tepe. Archaeologists believe that this is the oldest human sculpture of its kind on Earth.

One of the earliest and most realistic examples of human sculpture, depicting a man holding his phallus with both hands, was discovered by archaeologists in Turkey, writes Daily Mail.

The unusual 2.3m tall statue was discovered at a prehistoric site known as Karahan Tepe, which is about 35km from a Mesolithic temple built 6,000 years before Stonehenge.

It is similar in style to the 10,300-year-old Urfa Man sculpture, which was also found in southeastern Turkey during construction work in 1993. That statue was considered “the oldest naturalistic life-size sculpture of a person.”

But since Karakhan Tepe dates back to around 9400 BC, the new discovery is believed to eclipse the “Man of Urfa” as the oldest human statue of its kind ever found on Earth.

The sculpture was found attached to the ground on a bench at Karakhan Tepe, which is considered one of the most important settlements of the Neolithic period.

It has a realistic facial expression, a strong, wide v-neck and well-cut ribs. The statue, which is approximately 11,400 years old, also has hands running down its sides, which are depicted holding its phallus.

She differs from the man from Urfa in that his eyes are cut out, while the man from Karakhan Tepe has a beard and hair and is much taller than his fellow.

Excavations nearby also uncovered a statue of a bird with a beak, eyes and wings, which archaeologists in Turkey believe represents a vulture.

This is not the first time that animal sculptures have been found at this site, the Daily Mail notes. Statues of snakes, insects, birds, a rabbit and a gazelle were also previously discovered at Karahan Tepe, which is located near the UNESCO World Heritage site Gobekli Tepe in Turkey’s southeastern Sanliurfa province.

Considered home to the oldest known Mesolithic temple, Göbekli Tepe dates back to 9600 BC and is known as the “zero point of history.”

According to the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, another new find was also discovered here. A life-size statue of a wild boar made of limestone was found in Gobekli Tepe’s “Structure D”, archaeologists said.

Scientists say it is the first painted sculpture found from this period, and its surface shows remnants of red, white and black pigments.

Excavations in Gobekli Tepe and Karakhan Tepe began in 2019, but these places have been known to archaeologists for about 30 years. Now they are the subject of a new book called Göbekli Tepe and Karakhan Tepe: The World’s First Megaliths by author Hugh Newman.