In the ever-evolving story of human history, ancient structures continue to fascinate and challenge our understanding of the dawn of civilization.
While the pyramids of Egypt and Peru's monumental sites have long been in the spotlight, a recent discovery hints at an even older origin of human architectural prowess.
A team of scientists has unearthed a megalith with a lava core, located in the green landscape of… Indonesiathat defies conventional wisdom about the beginnings of civilization.
Known as Gunung Padang, this monumental find reveals a structure that dates back to the Paleolithic period and may rewrite the chronicles of human achievement.
The study, published in the journal Archeology Prospection, suggests that construction of this enigmatic pyramid began as early as 16,000 years ago, or possibly even 27,000 years ago, thousands of years older than the iconic pyramids of Giza and the awe-inspiring monuments of Peru.
Once misconceived as a natural mountain shrouded in foliage, Gunung Padang has been revealed as a carefully crafted pyramid, its layers unfolding a story of ancient ingenuity. Divided into several units, each representing an era in human history, the pyramid features a timeline that spans millennia.
Unit 4, the oldest layer, dates back to a time between 25,000 BC and 14,000 BC, when early artisans sculpted the hill from natural lava and basalt rocks. Successive layers, added over eras, tell a story of human endeavor and evolution, culminating in Unit 1, decorated with stone terraces and topsoil, dating from 2000 BC to 1100 BC.
However, amid the excitement over this groundbreaking discovery, controversy has arisen. The article published by Archaeological Prospection in 2023, which boldly declared Gunung Padang as the world's oldest pyramid, was later retracted due to what the editors call a “major error.”
The study's claim, based on the dating of soil samples, has been disputed, casting a shadow over the pyramid's claimed age.
Despite the retraction, the debate rages on, with proponents of the original research decrying what they see as an unjust rejection of groundbreaking science.