The ancient sites of Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe in Türkiye revealed the first painted statue and one of the most lifelike human sculptures ever found.

The new findings came to light in the southeastern Şanlıurfa province, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

A life-size wild boar statue made of limestone was found in the "D structure" of Göbeklitepe, an ancient site famed as the "zero-point of history."

The work, which shows red, white, and black pigment residues on its surface, was the first painted sculpture found from its period to the present day.

The archeological site is located in Şanlıufa and features relics that date back 12,000 years.

The famed ancient site was discovered in 1963 by researchers from Istanbul and Chicago universities.

In joint work at the site since 1995, the German Archaeological Institute and Şanlıurfa Museum found T-shaped obelisks from the Neolithic era towering 3 - 6 meters (10 - 20 feet) high and weighing between 40 and 60 tons.

During excavations, diverse 12,000-year-old artifacts, such as human statuettes 65 centimeters (26 inches) high, were also unearthed.

Human statue in Karahantepe

A human statue was unearthed during excavations in Türkiye’s Karahantepe, considered one of the most important settlements of the Neolithic period.

The 2.3-meter high human statue, which is a candidate for one of the most impressive examples of prehistoric art with a realistic facial expression, was found fixed to the ground on a bench.

A vulture statue and stone plates were also found in the area.

Research efforts have since gathered pace, including the launch of the Göbeklitepe Culture and Karahantepe Excavations project in 2017.

Excavations at the site have led to the discovery of more than 250 T-shaped obelisks similar to those at Göbeklitepe, an official UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the world’s oldest temple and dubbed the point where history began.