Comparative Analysis of the Sacred Architecture of Göbekli Tepe and the Ceramic Temple Models of the Trypillia-Cucuteni Culture: Cosmological Parallels and Religious Semantics

Abstract

The article is dedicated to a comparative analysis of the sacred architecture of the Göbekli Tepe temple complex (10th-8th millennium BCE, Turkey) and the ceramic temple models of the Trypillia-Cucuteni culture (5th-3th millennium BCE, Ukraine, Romania), emphasizing their cosmological parallels, religious semantics, and cultural interactions. The study reveals common principles in the organization of sacred space, particularly the use of “U”-shaped entrances, round window illuminators, solar-lunar and serpent symbolism, and orientation according to the cardinal directions, all of which reflect the early agricultural communities’ understanding of the structure of the Universe. The author analyzes the typology of temple miniatures (open, closed, multi-level models), their correspondence to actual cult buildings, and considers them as means of encoding and transmitting sacred knowledge. Special attention is given to the interpretation of symbols such as the “Sacred Tree,” “axis mundi” (world axis), and serpentine motifs in the context of Neolithic cosmological concepts, their role in rituals, and their connection to later myths about death, rebirth, and the duality of knowledge. The study traces the cultural diffusion of religious traditions from the “Fertile Crescent” to Europe, focusing on the transformation and adaptation of sacred practices in local contexts. The article emphasizes the relevance of rethinking the development of ancient religious systems in light of new archaeological discoveries that indicate the complexity of the spiritual worldview of early agricultural societies during the Neolithization stage. The identified parallels between Göbekli Tepe and the Trypillia-Cucuteni culture suggest the existence of universal archetypes of sacred architecture, which served as “cosmograms” – material models of the universe. The study also highlights the social role of temples, reflecting the developed organization of labor, hierarchy, and specialization in early agricultural communities, as well as their potential influence on the formation of religious ideas that could have formed the basis for later mythological narratives, particularly the images of Eden, the World Tree, and the Serpent.