Archaeologists Unearth 11,000-Year-Old Statue of a Person Riding a Leopard in Turkey

Archaeologists excavating the Neolithic site of Karahantepe near Şanlıurfa in southeastern Türkiye have unearthed an 11,000-year-old stone statue depicting a human figure seated on the back of a leopard, a composite carving that researchers describe as unparalleled among finds from the period. Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the discovery, which was made during the 2026 excavation season as part of the country's national Heritage for the Future program.

The statue stands 70 centimeters tall and was found covered with flat stones on a bench built along the wall of a small, three-meter structure whose floor was likewise covered in flat stones. Archaeologists say it appears to have remained in the exact spot where it was deliberately placed 11,000 years ago, offering rare insight into how Neolithic communities in the region treated symbolic objects.

Karahantepe is part of a cluster of extraordinarily early Neolithic sites in southeastern Türkiye that includes the better-known Göbekli Tepe, both of which have reshaped understanding of when and how complex symbolic art and monumental architecture first emerged in human history. Researchers say the leopard-rider figure may reflect the culture's preoccupation with virility and masculinity, though its precise meaning remains a subject of ongoing study.