Birth and Gestation: Symbolism of Vulture Stone

Title: Birth and Gestation: Symbolism of Vulture Stone Author: Anatolii Kharchenko, Independent researcher Email: y9414495@gmail.com Abstract Interpreting the symbolic systems of Göbekli Tepe is essential for understanding the transition to the Neolithic Revolution. This study uses an interdisciplinary approach to interpret the iconography on the upper section of Pillar 43 in Enclosure D, also known as the Vulture Stone. The analysis reveals that these images represent the link between animal reproductive cycles and calendar periods. Specifically, the number of large triangles above the vulture’s wing directly correlates with the biological period from conception to hatching. Similar correlations were identified for the three animals depicted near the rectangles with semicircles. This interpretation is supported by a dense, interconnected set of motifs on the upper part of the megalith. The study provides evidence that Pillar 43 served a dual function, supporting both ritual purposes and the transmission of observational knowledge about natural phenomena, associated with gestation and birth. This accumulated knowledge served as the practical foundation for the Neolithic Revolution. Version 13 additionally includes a detailed analysis of two hypotheses existing in the scientific literature. Version 14 adds a detailed explanation of the AI's applicability limits in this work, as well as a rationale for determining the maximum allowable error for depicting biological cycles. Version 15 adds the main conclusion of this study, additional rationale for the criticism of the ritual-mortuary hypothesis, and removes two uninformative paragraphs. Version 16 adds the new abstract and introduces some changes to the declaration section. Version 17 uses British spelling, and minor clarifications have also been made.