This study traces the geomorphological development in the environs of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site Göbekli Tepe by means of radiocarbon dated sediment profiles from its close vicinity. Based on facies interpretation we identify different depositional environments and discuss the involved process dynamics. Our results show that the sediments from the foot slopes are characterized by soil creep and slope wash. Further downstream, in the proximal piedmont zone, fluvial deposition prevails forming a channel and an overbank facies. The sediments at the foot slopes were mainly deposited during Roman and Byzantine times, while those from the proximal piedmont zone cover the period from the Bronze Age to the Roman times. Phases of geomorphological activity and stability can be distinguished in the course of the later Holocene, where organic rich topsoils were buried at c. 4750, 4200, and 3650 cal. a BP documenting phases of landscape stability followed by enhanced geomorphodynamics. These phases fall into the Bronze Age in Anatolia and coincide with an increasing population, pronounced human impact, and climatic aridization that occurred in Turkey around 5.3–4.1 ka BP. Our findings provide among the first insights into the environmental development including the involved process dynamics in the vicinity of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Göbekli Tepe during the later Holocene, also allowing to further develop hypotheses for the period of its occupation.

这项研究利用附近地区的放射性碳年代泥沙剖面追踪了前陶器新石器时代遗址哥贝克利·特佩周围的地貌发展。基于相解释，我们确定了不同的沉积环境并讨论了所涉及的过程动力学。我们的结果表明，来自脚下斜坡的沉积物具有土壤蠕变和斜坡冲刷的特征。在更近的下游，在近前的山前带，河流沉积占主导地位，形成了一个通道和一个上覆相。在罗马和拜占庭时期，山脚下的沉积物主要沉积，而在近山麓地区的沉积物覆盖了从青铜时代到罗马时期的沉积物。在后来的全新世过程中，可以区分出地貌活动和稳定阶段。富含有机物的表土埋在c。4750、4200和3650卡路里 BP记录了景观稳定性的各个阶段，随后是增强的地貌动力学。这些阶段进入安那托利亚的青铜时代，与人口增加，人类影响明显和土耳其在5.3–4.1 ka BP左右发生的气候干旱化相吻合。我们的发现提供了对环境发展的初步见解，包括后来的全新世期间联合国教科文组织世界遗产地哥贝克利·特佩附近所涉及的过程动态，也使人们可以进一步发展其占领时期的假说。这些阶段进入安那托利亚的青铜时代，与人口增加，人类影响明显和土耳其在5.3–4.1 ka BP左右发生的气候干旱化相吻合。我们的发现提供了对环境发展的初步见解，包括后来的全新世期间联合国教科文组织世界遗产地哥贝克利·特佩附近所涉及的过程动态，也使人们可以进一步发展其占领时期的假说。这些阶段进入安那托利亚的青铜时代，与人口增加，人类影响明显和土耳其在5.3–4.1 ka BP左右发生的气候干旱化相吻合。我们的发现提供了对环境发展的初步见解，包括后来的全新世期间联合国教科文组织世界遗产地哥贝克利·特佩附近所涉及的过程动态，也使人们可以进一步发展其占领时期的假说。