Neither those of Egypt nor Mexico: this is the world’s oldest pyramid
Buried until the end of the 19th century, this pyramid, originally believed to be a mountain, is older than those at Giza Egypt and Chichén Itzá in Mexico.
Gunung Padang is an archaeological complex located in Indonesia, specifically on the island of Java and a little more than 100 miles from the country’s capital, the megacity of Jakarta. This megalith, which remained buried until 1890, could be the oldest pyramid in the world, ousting the famous Egyptian and Mayan pyramids.
However, this theory, that the archaeological site of Gunung Padang in West Java province was a pyramid, is a matter of debate among archaeologists. In October 2023, an article was published claiming that this site was a prehistoric pyramid. A theory which was rejected by other professionals who call the authors of this study pseudoarchaeologists. The authors of the study retracted their article, although all of them disagreed with the move.
This study claims that the Indonesian pyramid could be at least 16,000 years old, far surpassing what is currently the oldest pyramid on record, the Step Pyramid of Zoser in Egypt, which is about 4,700 years old.
A paleolithic pyramid: the world’s oldest pyramid?
Gunung Padang is a pyramid built on several layers. According to archaeologists, the structure sits on an artificial hill on which the different layers of stone have been placed to form the pyramid. In addition, tunnels and underground chambers have been discovered inside it, similar to the Egyptian pyramids, although more than 10,000 years earlier.
The construction of this pyramid still remains a mystery, as scientists have dated the rocks to the early Paleolithic period, thousands of years before the birth of Christ. What researchers have not been able to find out is how such a structure was built and what its purpose was.
According to experts, Gunung Padang has a lava core that over the years was surrounded by stones and underground structures, such as chambers and cavities. During the investigation, as more evidence was discovered, the theory that this pyramid was simply a geological formation, stayed in the heads of archaeologists. But this hypothesis was later refuted by further examination and it was confirmed, something which as mentioned has been challenged, that it was an anthropogenic structure built during the glacial period of the Paleolithic.
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