Researchers have uncovered part of the mystery behind the construction of the earliest known temple in human history.
The Göbekli Tepe complex in southeastern Anatolia, Turkey, is a 11,500-year-old stone structure that predates Stonehenge.
The researchers used a computer to determine that the pillars were placed in their positions on purpose and by design.
The layout of the complex is characterized by it’s symbolic hierarchies that reflect changes in the spiritual world and in the social structure," researcher Gil Haklay from the Israel Antiquities Authority explained.
"Our findings suggest that major architectural transformations during this period, such as the transition to rectangular architecture, were knowledge-based, top-down processes carried out by specialists," Haklay said.
The discovery is important because it was assumed that architectural planning methods such as geometry and floor plans came about much later in history.
In fact, some believe these methods were introduced over 10,500 years ago when hunter turned into food-producing farmers.
