The “Ethical Skeptic”:

I share an equal frustration with the lack of genuine curiosity and rigorous investigative effort applied to interpreting the artifacts uncovered at Göbekli Tepe and other archaeological sites. For instance, why was I the first to recognize that the serpent image carved into the wall of Enclosure AA, or Hypogeum Pit, at Karahan Tepe represents Sheshanāgá, the cosmic shining serpent of ancient lore—an image tied to the Milky Way’s luminous center?2 How could such a connection escape notice? Surely, this should not have been that hard to figure out. I am not even directly involved in the field, yet I was able to discern the meaning of the image within minutes of seeing it for the first time.

The builders of Göbekli Tepe made their message in the Pillars unmistakably clear, guiding us like children through precisely what they were observing and documenting. Yet, they likely underestimated just how obtuse the children of men would become.

This raises an uncomfortable question: if an outsider can make such connections so readily, what does it say about the level of curiosity and rigor being applied by those entrusted with unearthing and interpreting humanity’s ancient story? My concern goes beyond mere intellectual lethargy or bureaucratic stagnation. I sense that fear governs much of the work and conclusions produced within the discipline of archaeology. Fear of being labeled heretical, fear of diverging from the consensus, fear of professional censure and reductive categorization, and perhaps most troubling, fear of unseen powers whose agency and influence remain deliberately obscured.

An Alternative Interpretation of Pillar 43, Its ‘Handbags,’ ‘V’-Scoring, and Iconic ‘H’ Symbols