Archaeologists believe the wheel had not even been invented yet when the sanctuary known as Karahantepe was carved into the bedrock almost 12 thousand years ago in what is now the Turkish province of Şanlıurfa/
Special event station TC8KHT will be the first ham radio activation at the site since its creation around 9400 BC. A team of operators from the Turkish Amateur Radio Society will be active on the 18th through to the 20th of September. Where there was once no writing, agriculture or pottery, there now exists a GridSquare designation of KM97PC. From there, the operators will be using CW, SSB, FT8/FT4 and the geostationary satellite QO-100. Any operator completing at least one contact will be eligible for the free Amateur Radio Karahantepe (pronounce: carra hon TEP pay) Heritage Award.
Although the Cradle of Civilisation will never be the cradle of amateur radio, operators will make the most of those three days and then depart, as scientists continue their work through the Karahantepe (pronounce: carra hon TEP pay) Research Support Association. There are always new discoveries to be made - something amateur radio operators can surely relate to.
