Unusual Sculpture Uncovered in Southeastern Turkey

News August 27, 2026

An archaeologist excavates a statue depicting a human sitting atop a leopard, Karahantepe, Turkey
Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism
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ŞANLIURFA, TURKEY—Yeni Şafak reports that an 11,000-year-old sculpture depicting a person sitting on a leopard has been unearthed in southeastern Turkey at the Neolithic site of Karahantepe. The 28-inch-tall sculpture was discovered on a bench situated along the wall of a circular structure measuring about 10 feet in diameter, said Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. The floor of the structure was paved with flat stones, he added. To read about other recent finds from Karahantepe, go to "Tales from the Neolithic," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2025.

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