Göbekli Tepe Object Profile

The Boar Relief: Pillar 12 in Enclosure C

This Enclosure C object gathers the boar relief evidence around Pillar 12, one of Göbekli Tepe's clearest animal-image anchors.

The Boar Relief: Pillar 12 in Enclosure C visual reference
Pillar 12 boar relief. Photo: D. Johannes, copyright DAI.

Quick Facts

Site
Göbekli Tepe
Structure
Enclosure C
Type
pillar plus adjacent sculpture context

What We Know

Pillar 12 is a Building C second-ring-wall pillar with a boar relief and an adjacent 48.5 cm boar sculpture found in front of that relief.

Main Details

  • Pillar 12 is a Building C second-ring-wall pillar with a boar relief and an adjacent 48.5 cm boar sculpture found in front of that relief.
  • Pillar 12 gives Enclosure C one of its clearest boar moments: a boar relief on the pillar, with a separate boar sculpture placed in front of it. This is not the same object as the Pillar 35 boar sculpture with stone plates and a bowl, and it is not part of Pillar 27's predator-and-boar relief program.
  • Dietrich 2023 identifies Pillar 12 in the second ring wall of Building C as the pillar bearing the boar relief in front of which the sculpture was found.
  • The source directly states that the sculpture was found in front of a boar relief on Pillar 12.
  • The sculpture is described as one of the most impressive boar depictions and is measured at 48.5 cm in length.
  • The boar sculpture has rounded and modelled forms, a roundish nose, slightly open snout, large lower-jaw tusks, slit-like eyes, small ears, a slightly curved back, oversized front legs/head, scratched toes, a raised-bristle-comb indication, knob tail, and deeply undercut stomach.
  • Detailed anatomy and human-animal-border interpretation belong in review; public text should remain descriptive.
  • A separate Building C discovery placed a massive boar sculpture next to Pillar 35 with perforated plates, a bowl, charcoal discoloration, and cache context. That is not this object.
  • Pillar 27's low-relief boar and high-relief predator/leopard are a separate pillar imagery object.
  • The dromos porthole slab with boar relief south of Enclosure C is a separate entrance/porthole-stone object.
  • Pillar 12 is in the second ring wall of Building C according to the evidence trail.
  • Pillar 12 has a boar relief.

Parent Context

  • Pillar 12 second-ring-wall context

Public Reading Path

  • Pillar 12 is a Building C second-ring-wall pillar with a boar relief and an adjacent 48.5 cm boar sculpture found in front of that relief.
  • Pillar 12 gives Enclosure C one of its clearest boar moments: a boar relief on the pillar, with a separate boar sculpture placed in front of it. This is not the same object as the Pillar 35 boar sculpture with stone plates and a bowl, and it is not part of Pillar 27's predator-and-boar relief program.
  • Dietrich 2023 identifies Pillar 12 in the second ring wall of Building C as the pillar bearing the boar relief in front of which the sculpture was found.
  • The source directly states that the sculpture was found in front of a boar relief on Pillar 12.
  • The sculpture is described as one of the most impressive boar depictions and is measured at 48.5 cm in length.
  • The boar sculpture has rounded and modelled forms, a roundish nose, slightly open snout, large lower-jaw tusks, slit-like eyes, small ears, a slightly curved back, oversized front legs/head, scratched toes, a raised-bristle-comb indication, knob tail, and deeply undercut stomach.

Physical Evidence

  • Dietrich 2023 identifies Pillar 12 in the second ring wall of Building C as the pillar bearing the boar relief in front of which the sculpture was found.
  • The source directly states that the sculpture was found in front of a boar relief on Pillar 12.
  • The sculpture is described as one of the most impressive boar depictions and is measured at 48.5 cm in length.
  • The boar sculpture has rounded and modelled forms, a roundish nose, slightly open snout, large lower-jaw tusks, slit-like eyes, small ears, a slightly curved back, oversized front legs/head, scratched toes, a raised-bristle-comb indication, knob tail, and deeply undercut stomach.
  • Detailed anatomy and human-animal-border interpretation belong in review; public text should remain descriptive.
  • A separate Building C discovery placed a massive boar sculpture next to Pillar 35 with perforated plates, a bowl, charcoal discoloration, and cache context. That is not this object.
  • Pillar 27's low-relief boar and high-relief predator/leopard are a separate pillar imagery object.
  • The dromos porthole slab with boar relief south of Enclosure C is a separate entrance/porthole-stone object.
  • Pillar 12 is in the second ring wall of Building C according to the evidence trail.
  • Pillar 12 has a boar relief.

Motifs And Feature Groups

  • Pillar 12 has a boar relief.
  • A boar sculpture was found in front of that relief.
  • boar: pillar relief: direct source statement
  • boar: limestone sculpture / adjacent object: direct source statement and Fig. 11.1 caption

What To Be Careful About

  • Use reported wording where exact locus, phase, function, species, image rights, or restoration details remain open.
  • Keep object description, placement, motif identification, and interpretation separate unless the source explicitly joins them.
  • Pillar 35 boar sculpture / perforated stone plates / bowl / discoloration cache
  • Pillar 27 low-relief boar and high-relief predator/leopard
  • dromos porthole slab with boar relief
  • Pillar 36 possible porthole-stone predator slab
  • general Enclosure C boar dominance claim
  • shamanism/animism or ritual function as fact
  • boar sculpture as an offering
  • boar sculpture as proof of ritual performance

Source Trail

  • GT-ENC-C-SRC-003
  • GT-ENC-C-PILLAR-INVENTORY-001
  • GT-ENC-C-STRUCTURED-DATASET

Open Questions

  • Build GT-ENC-C-CHILD-PILLAR-35-BOAR-CACHE-001 to separate the Pillar 35 boar sculpture, perforated plates, bowl, fragmented plate, and discoloration/cache context.
  • Keep Pillar 35 cache separate: Pillar 35 has a separate boar sculpture / plates / bowl / discoloration cache and must not be merged with the Pillar 12 boar sculpture.
  • Sculpture is adjacent object, not pillar decoration: The boar sculpture was found in front of the Pillar 12 boar relief; only the relief is on the pillar.
  • Detailed anatomy should remain review: Tusks, sexual-anatomy note, undercut stomach, and anthropomorphic discussion should not drive public-facing interpretation.
  • Direct Schmidt 2008 source recovery needed: Dietrich 2023 cites Schmidt 2008 for the context; recover the direct publication/figure locator if available.
  • Images not public-ready: Fig. 11.1 and related source images require image identity and rights review before public display.
  • Which exact source image or excavation figure should be used when public image rights are cleared?

Evidence Review

  • source refs
  • lineage
  • detailed anatomy
  • anthropomorphic anatomy note
  • interpretive framing in Dietrich 2023
  • image-rights status
  • Keep Pillar 35 cache separate: Pillar 35 has a separate boar sculpture / plates / bowl / discoloration cache and must not be merged with the Pillar 12 boar sculpture.
  • Sculpture is adjacent object, not pillar decoration: The boar sculpture was found in front of the Pillar 12 boar relief; only the relief is on the pillar.

Object Evidence

What Is Secure

  • Pillar 12 is a Building C second-ring-wall pillar with a boar relief and an adjacent 48.5 cm boar sculpture found in front of that relief.
  • This Enclosure C object gathers the boar relief evidence around Pillar 12, one of Göbekli Tepe's clearest animal-image anchors.
  • Pillar 12 gives Enclosure C one of its clearest boar moments: a boar relief on the pillar, with a separate boar sculpture placed in front of it. This is not the same object as the Pillar 35 boar sculpture with stone plates and a bowl, and it is not part of Pillar 27's predator-and-boar relief program.
  • Dietrich 2023 identifies Pillar 12 in the second ring wall of Building C as the pillar bearing the boar relief in front of which the sculpture was found.

Source Trail

  • GT-ENC-C-SRC-003
  • GT-ENC-C-PILLAR-INVENTORY-001
  • GT-ENC-C-STRUCTURED-DATASET
  • Site evidence notes

Boundaries

  • Use reported wording where exact locus, phase, function, species, image rights, or restoration details remain open.
  • Keep object description, placement, motif identification, and interpretation separate unless the source explicitly joins them.
  • Pillar 35 boar sculpture / perforated stone plates / bowl / discoloration cache
  • Pillar 27 low-relief boar and high-relief predator/leopard

Next Evidence Needed

  • Build GT-ENC-C-CHILD-PILLAR-35-BOAR-CACHE-001 to separate the Pillar 35 boar sculpture, perforated plates, bowl, fragmented plate, and discoloration/cache context.
  • Keep Pillar 35 cache separate: Pillar 35 has a separate boar sculpture / plates / bowl / discoloration cache and must not be merged with the Pillar 12 boar sculpture.
  • Sculpture is adjacent object, not pillar decoration: The boar sculpture was found in front of the Pillar 12 boar relief; only the relief is on the pillar.
  • Detailed anatomy should remain review: Tusks, sexual-anatomy note, undercut stomach, and anthropomorphic discussion should not drive public-facing interpretation.

Open the parent structure

Sources

  • GT-ENC-C-SRC-003
  • GT-ENC-C-PILLAR-INVENTORY-001
  • GT-ENC-C-STRUCTURED-DATASET

Back to Enclosure C