Reverential Termination: Intentional Backfilling as Ritual Closure at Taş Tepeler Sites

The monumental enclosures of the Taş Tepeler region (notably Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe) exhibit widespread intentional backfilling, a practice previously interpreted as symbolic sealing. This paper situates these acts within the anthropological framework of "termination rituals," distinguishing reverential closure—the careful preservation of sacred structures—from desecratory destruction. Evidence of structured, homogeneous fill matrices (limestone rubble without pillar defacement) supports the reverential interpretation. Comparative analysis with Neolithic and later prehistoric contexts (Çatalhöyük, Puebloan Kivas, Maya) reveals shared patterns of architectural "killing" used to manage ideological transitions. These findings refute functional "trash disposal" explanations and reinforce enclosure sealing as a deliberate mechanism for ritual decommissioning during the PPNA-PPNB transition.