A discovery that could change the history books: In Indonesia, a structure challenges our knowledge of ancient civilization. Is it really the oldest pyramid in the world?
Eyes open to the world
Satellite technologies combined with LIDAR radars take us into the future, but they also make us better understand the past. After the recent discoveries of entire hidden cities in the Amazon e mega fortifications in Central Europe, other findings arrive that could make us rewrite the history books. Hidden among the lush forests of Indonesia, the site of Gunung Padang emerges as a mysterious entity: a study published in Archaeological Prospection and just relaunched by Nature (I link it here) tells us that this structure may be the oldest pyramid in the world, with estimates dating it to around 27.000 years ago.
If this hypothesis is confirmed, Gunung Padang would not only surpass the ancient Pyramid of Djoser in Egypt, but could also dethrone Göbekli Tepe in Turkey as the oldest known megalithic site.
A 27.000 year old pyramid, controversies and debates
Despite its apparent magnificence, the veracity of these claims is the subject of intense controversy. Many archaeologists remain skeptical, as the finds and construction techniques found in Gunung Padang do not align with current knowledge of human capacity for construction in that distant past.
Lutfi Yondri, an Indonesian archaeologist, points out that the region showed signs of cave dwellings between 12.000 and 6.000 years ago, a period significantly more recent than the supposed construction of the pyramid. A factor that definitely contrasts with the discovery.
The study in Nature: technologies and methods of investigation
Research on the Indonesian pyramid has used advanced techniques such as geophysical prospecting to probe what lies beneath the stepped terraces. These studies identified four distinct layers, interpreted as separate phases of construction.
Carbon dating, obtained from the analysis of several samples of soil trapped between the rocks, suggests that the first construction phase dates back to between 27.000 and 16.000 years ago. Evidence that needs to be explored further, of course, to understand whether the base of these structures was actually built by man or was formed naturally (as it seems, from recent studies, this also happened with the Sphinx in Egypt).
Between advanced civilization and “deviant” debate
Secondo Danny Hilman Natawidjaja, one of the co-authors of the study, the Gunung Padang pyramid represents a symbol of advanced civilization. Building pyramids requires, he says, high masonry skills and a sophisticated understanding of engineering. And this perspective definitely clashes with current theories on the evolution of complex societies and their constructive capabilities.
On the other hand, the megalithic site of Gunung Padang itself is "divisive" in the scientific debate. He has long gained notoriety in the world of certain counter-information, and his notoriety was “consecrated” by his appearance in a Netflix documentary, “Ancient Apocalypse”, presented by the British author Graham Hancock. Hancock proposes the idea of an advanced global civilization wiped out around 12.000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. A fascinating narrative, but one that requires further scientific confirmation to be accepted by the academic community.
To shed further light on the question, studies related to archeology may also be useful. For example those on environmental sustainability. If the pyramid were indeed human, what would have been the implications of its construction in such a remote era? Studies on resource management and the environmental impact of ancient civilizations could offer interesting insights.
Gunung Padang Pyramid, the next steps
I have told you in detail about the controversies. Ditto for the study, which as always we link to for further information on the original source. Beyond the thorny topic, Gunung Padang remains a site of extraordinary importance, a mystery shrouded in history that will continue to stimulate debate and research.
This is why it is essential that further studies are conducted with an objective and scientific approach, free from prejudices or pre-packaged narratives. Only in this way can we hope to "unlock" knowledge about this place and, perhaps, rewrite a chapter in our human history.
