‘World’s oldest’ pyramid discovered in Java jungle may be 25,000 years old – but archaeologists claim it’s not man-made
THE "world's oldest" pyramid in the Java jungle may be a whopping 25,000 years old - but archaeologists have eerily claimed it isn't man-made.
Despite the world record holder being listed as the Djoser Step pyramid in Egypt, research claims a layer of the Gunung Padang pyramid in Indonesia is even older.
Gunung Padang is a massive underground pyramid, hiding beneath a hillside on Java island, Indonesia.
Its name translates to "mountain of enlightenment" from Sundanese, the native language of the area, as the place served for religious rituals throughout history.
The structure is known as the largest megalithic site in Southeast Asia.
Research from the Indonesian Institute of Scientists believe "the pyramid's core consists of meticulously sculpted massive andesite lava".
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This is because experts believe the pyramid likely "originated as a natural lava hill".
After nature began the structure, humans finished it by sculpting it and making it "architecturally enveloped".
They write: "This study sheds light on advanced masonry skills dating back to the last glacial period.
"This finding challenges the conventional belief that human civilisation and the development of advanced construction techniques emerged only… with the advent of agriculture approximately 11,000 years ago.
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"Evidence from Gunung Padang and other sites, such as Gobekli Tepe [in Turkey], suggests that advanced construction practices were already present when agriculture had, perhaps, not yet been invented."
Experts also believe the builders of the incredible structure "must have possessed remarkable masonry capabilities".
Gunung Padang was apparently abandoned for several millennia, leading to significant weathering.
The construction was picked up again around 7900–6100 BCE, adding various rock columns and gravelly soils.
Interestingly, during this time, the builders deliberately buried or built over some older parts of the site.
The "peculiar" shape of the hill stood out from the landscape, said the lead geophysicist, Danny Hilman Natawidjaja.
The team of archaeologists and geologists at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation agency gradually uncovered several layers of the structure which spread over an area of 15 hectares and had been built up over millennia.
According to the researchers, Gunung Padang's underground layers date to 9,500 to 28,000 years ago.
This would make the historic site not only the first pyramid, but also the oldest monolithic structure in the world.
To put things into perspective, the current oldest pyramid title belongs to the Pyramid of Djoser in Egypt, estimated to be about 4,692 years old.
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Previously it was found that the giant pyramid built atop of the extinct volcano may be hiding unknown ancient treasures, say archaeologists.
The deepest part of the complex lies almost 100 feet down and has hidden chambers.The secret chambers may reveal unknown facts about the ancient civilisations that thrived on the land.
World's biggest pyramids
- 1. Transamerica Pyramid – 260 metres (853 feet)
- 2. Great Pyramid of Giza – 138.5 metres (454 feet)
- 3. Pyramid of Khafre – 136.4 metres (448 feet)
- 4. Borobudur – 118 metres (387 ft)
- 5. Luxor Pyramid – 107 metres (350 ft)
- 6. Red Pyramid – 105 metres (344 ft)
- 7. Bent Pyramid – 104.7 metres (344 ft)
- 8. Memphis Pyramid – 98 metres (321 ft)
- 9. Toniná Pyramid – 74 metres (243 ft)
- 10. La Danta – 72 metres (236 ft)
