Göbekli Tepe Structure Profile

Building C

Building C is one of Göbekli Tepe's major circular buildings. It is especially important for boar imagery, Pillar 12, Pillar 27, the Pillar 35 area, and the southern entrance with a porthole stone.

Pillar 12 in Building C at Göbekli Tepe
Pillar 12 in Building C. Photo: D. Johannes, copyright DAI. Source image from the DAI Tepe Telegrams Building C boar article; keep credit and rights review visible.

Photo Set

Building C Photos

Pillar 12 in Building C with boar relief
Pillar 12 boar relief. Photo: D. Johannes, copyright DAI.
Boar sculpture beside Pillar 12 in Building C
Boar sculpture found beside Pillar 12 during refilling. Photo: D. Johannes, copyright DAI.
Pillar 27 in Building C
Pillar 27 in Building C. Photo: D. Johannes, copyright DAI.
Pillar 27 predator and boar detail
Pillar 27 detail with predator and smaller boar. Photo: D. Johannes, copyright DAI.
Plan of the Building C entrance situation
Entrance plan with possible dromos. Photo: N. Becker; plan K. Schmidt, modified by J. Notroff; copyright DAI.
U-shaped stone at the entrance of Building C
U-shaped stone at the Building C entrance. Photo: D. Johannes; drawing K. Schmidt; copyright DAI.
Porthole stone at the Building C entrance
Porthole stone behind the U-shaped stone. Photo: D. Johannes, copyright DAI.

At a glance

Site
Göbekli Tepe
Structure
Building C
Known For
Boar imagery, entrance stones, and major circular architecture

What you're looking at

Building C gathers several strong but separate evidence groups: boar reliefs, boar sculptures, predator imagery, and an entrance setting with a U-shaped stone and porthole slab.

Why it matters

  • Boar imagery is especially prominent in Building C.
  • Pillar 12 has a boar relief, and a boar sculpture was found beside it during refilling.
  • Pillar 27 shows a predator in high relief with a smaller boar in low relief.
  • A separate boar sculpture with stone plates was reported near one central pillar.
  • The southern entrance setting includes a U-shaped stone and a porthole slab with a boar relief.
  • The exact meaning of the boar pattern remains open.

What to notice first

  • Pillar 12
  • Pillar 27
  • Pillar 35 area
  • Southern porthole stone
  • U-shaped entrance stone
  • Boar sculpture deposits

How to read it

  • Start with Building C as a major circular structure at Göbekli Tepe.
  • Open the boar evidence one object at a time: Pillar 12, Pillar 27, the Pillar 35 area, and the southern porthole stone.
  • Keep carved reliefs, sculpture deposits, entrance architecture, and interpretation in separate lanes.
  • Use the source drawer for the deeper animal-imagery discussion.

How the space works

  • Building C is one of Göbekli Tepe's major circular buildings.
  • The DAI article highlights a clear southern entrance situation for at least one building phase.
  • That entrance was later blocked by a wall.
  • The southern approach includes two nearly parallel walls, a U-shaped stone, and a porthole slab.

Spatial details

  • Pillar 12 carries a boar relief.
  • A boar sculpture was found beside the Pillar 12 boar relief during refilling.
  • Another boar sculpture, with stone plates, was found near one of Building C's central pillars.
  • Pillar 27 combines a predator in high relief with a smaller boar in low relief.
  • The southern porthole stone carries a boar relief below its opening.

Important objects

pillar and relief Pillar 12

The clearest Building C boar anchor: a boar relief on the pillar, with a boar sculpture found beside it during refilling.

pillar Pillar 27

A strong image object where a predator in high relief appears above a smaller boar in low relief.

object group Pillar 35 Area

A separate boar-related deposit near one central pillar, reported with stone plates. It should stay separate from Pillar 12.

entrance object Southern Porthole Stone

An entrance object with a boar relief below the opening. It is important for movement and threshold evidence.

Images to follow

  • Boar imagery is especially prominent in Building C.
  • The DAI article treats the boar evidence as a pattern, but the exact meaning remains open.
  • Predator imagery appears beside some boar evidence, especially at Pillar 27 and the entrance setting.
  • The safest public story is the pattern itself: repeated boar reliefs and sculptures tied to Building C.
Research layer limits
  • Do not merge all Building C boars into one single scene.
  • Do not claim the boars prove one fixed ritual meaning.
  • Do not call the porthole stone a proven death, rebirth, or initiation device without attribution.
  • Do not treat the source photos as free-use images without rights review.
  • Which exact source figure should be used for each public object image?
  • Which Building C plan should anchor the entrance and object positions?
  • How should the Pillar 35 boar-and-stone-plate context be shown once full loci are available?
  • Which photos are cleared for public reuse, and which should remain source-reference only?
Evidence behind this evidence layer

Stable evidence

  • Building C gathers several strong but separate evidence groups: boar reliefs, boar sculptures, predator imagery, and an entrance setting with a U-shaped stone and porthole slab.
  • Building C is one of Göbekli Tepe's major circular buildings. It is especially important for boar imagery, Pillar 12, Pillar 27, the Pillar 35 area, and the southern entrance with a porthole stone.
  • Boar imagery is especially prominent in Building C.
  • Pillar 12 has a boar relief, and a boar sculpture was found beside it during refilling.

Where it comes from

  • DAI Tepe Telegrams, Boars in Göbekli Tepe's Enclosure C, 2016.
  • Article photo credits: D. Johannes, copyright DAI.
  • Peters and Schmidt 2004, Animals in the Symbolic World of Pre-pottery Neolithic Göbekli Tepe.
  • Dietrich, Köksal-Schmidt, Kürkçüoğlu, Notroff, and Schmidt 2013, Göbekli Tepe: A Stairway to the Circle of Boars.
  • Pillar 12, Pillar 27, entrance, U-stone, and porthole-stone photos credited to D. Johannes / DAI in the article.

Limits

  • Do not merge all Building C boars into one single scene.
  • Do not claim the boars prove one fixed ritual meaning.
  • Do not call the porthole stone a proven death, rebirth, or initiation device without attribution.
  • Do not treat the source photos as free-use images without rights review.

What could change

  • Which exact source figure should be used for each public object image?
  • Which Building C plan should anchor the entrance and object positions?
  • How should the Pillar 35 boar-and-stone-plate context be shown once full loci are available?
  • Which photos are cleared for public reuse, and which should remain source-reference only?

Open site profile

Source links references
  • DAI Tepe Telegrams, Boars in Göbekli Tepe's Enclosure C, 2016.
  • Article photo credits: D. Johannes, copyright DAI.
  • Peters and Schmidt 2004, Animals in the Symbolic World of Pre-pottery Neolithic Göbekli Tepe.
  • Dietrich, Köksal-Schmidt, Kürkçüoğlu, Notroff, and Schmidt 2013, Göbekli Tepe: A Stairway to the Circle of Boars.

Object Guides

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