Locating the archaeological site of Göbekli Tepe within Turkey.

Overview of the busy excavations at early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe (Turkey); view into the so-called main excavation area towards west.

Visual notes: Foxes depicted at early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe are shown in a very specific posture: They seem to be leaping – as foxes typically do when hunting.

Visual notes: Otherwise very naturalistic crane depictions from early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe show an unusual leg anatomy – could they hint at some kind of ‘crane masquerade’ in the frame of rituals?

Visual notes: Among the many animals depicted at early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe, aurochs take up a special role – as full representations as well reduced to the symbol of their horned heads.

Visual notes: Göbekli Tepe’s animal depictions cover a wide range of different species. Interestingly they are shown as the early Neolithic hunters would have experienced them in their natural environment: larger mammals in side view, smaller like insects from above.

Watercolor impression of the monumental T-pillars (here so-called Building D, excavations in progress) at early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe (Turkey).

Documentary sketch of mortar and grinding stone in situ at early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe (Turkey).

Self portrait of the archaeologist on site, mandatory sketchbook and pencil in hand.

Illustrations of archaeological field work for “Auf den Spuren der Zeit” by Christoph Cadenbach for Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin (30.09.2021).

“The muezzin just called the faithful to prayer and, probably unintentionally, the archaeologists to finally get up as well.”

“And one after another heads through the narrow alleys towards the waiting mini bus and driver.”

“As we arrive on this early Neolithic site, somewhere up in the mountains of southeastern Turkey, a pale moon is still hanging around a sky only slowly changing from black to blue.”

“There’s two diggers, one who shovels, and two basket-carriers.!

“Soon the air is filled with the sound of pickaxes and of chanting and laughing workmen; their bright purple headscarves fluttering in a breeze. Soil is shifted, rocks are moved.”

“Basket after basket of debris is brought out of the trenches. As the dust of history is slowly removed, the ancient remains are rising gradually.”

“And so business is going on. And on. The dusty work only interrupted by a short breakfast.”

“Over yet another tea (there’s always tea, get used to it), over some cheese and flatbread, over tomatoes and cucumbers and olives, conversations are drifting around the table.”

“Breakfast at such an early hour basically consists of not more than some strong tea, a slice of soft white flatbread (which will be rather dry within the hour), and a handful of olives.”

“A group of visitors, marvelling at the site’s sight, takes the chance to curiously quiz the archaeologists before returning to their air-conditioned busses.”

“Students are busily taking notes, picking out small pieces of charcoal and fragments of flint tools and stone vessels from the excavated soil, collecting them in buckets and plastic bags - each labelled with date and information on their exact find spot.”

“While the sun is moving towards its zenith, work’s pace is decreasing noticeably. It’s an arduous business and after eight hours of digging, just when midday’s heat is reaching its peak, everyone is happy to call it a (field) day.”

“Dirt is sifted dry and wet (a rather dusty respectively muddy business).”

“Bidding good bye, the crew of workmen is boarding tractors and trailers, leaving for that small village down the hill - dragging behind a dustcloud all the way.”

“With the madness of an average big city’s rush hour the drive back costs a multiple of the time the way there in morning did took us - enough time for a nap. Appreciated.”

“Back in town, as we leave the car and head through heated-up narrow old-town alleys towards the excavation house, buckets and pieces of equipment in hand, the muezzin is calling the faithful to prayer again.”

“Well, for the archaeologists it’s lunchtime for now; the cook is already waiting. Of course the meal is not finished without the mandatory tea (you get the idea), so showers still have to wait for yet another 10 minutes or so. There’s got to be time for that.”

“Meanwhile those finds of the day before, now all clean and dry and pretty, are examined, sorted, listed, catalogued, and drawn and photographed where necessary.”

Illustrated reportage: “A-Digging on a Tell”, or: A day in the field — An illustrated excavation diary, medium.com (04, 2021).

How the Salt Man got his Salt Sack …

A short History of Salt.

Illustrations and infographics accompanying the Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum’s special exhibition “Tod im Salz” about the Chehrabad salt mines (2021).

Series of illustrations on the evolution of scientific publishing for an article about the “Archäologischer Anzeiger” and the new DAI lense viewer in “Archäologie Weltweit” resp. “Archaeology World-wide”  1/2020, a magazine of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI).

Illustrations for an online video clip for the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) social media channels, narrating the institute’s founding in 1829 in Rome.

Graphic essay for the cover of EPOIESEN (Journal for Creative Engagement in History and Archaeology) 03, 2019.

Cover illustration of an early Neolithic monumental T-Pillar at Göbekli Tepe for Bilim ve Ütopya, May 2019.

Illustration of Neolithic cereal grinding in Dietrich et al., Göbekli Tepe. Tahillar, şölenler ve anitlar, Aktüel Arkeoloji 69, 2019.

Reconstruction illustration of communal work events at early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe in Dietrich et al., Cereal processing at Early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe, southeastern Turkey, PLOS ONE May 1, 2019.

Scenic illustration for the Göbekli Tepe research project weblog “The Tepe Telegrams”, December 2017.

Design for an event announcement of the German Archaeological Institute, a panel discussion on commemorative culture and iconoclasm.

Illustrations for various publications, print and online (click for details), e.g. cover illustration for EPOIESEN 03, 2019, cover illustration for Bilim ve Ütopya, May 2019, article illustration in Aktuell Arkeoloji 69, 2019, reconstruction illustration in PLOS ONE, May 1, 2019, article illustration for The Tepe Telegrams, December 2017, design for an event announcement of the German Archaeological Institute (August 2020).

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