Gunung Padang, in the province of West Java (Indonesia), is an 885-meter-high extinct volcano that stands out for the megalithic archaeological site located on its summit. Distributed over five terraces protected by retaining walls, this site considered sacred by the Sundanese, the native population, is accessed thanks to 370 stone steps.
The first archaeologists who worked at the site in the late 19th and early 20th centuries described it as an “ancient cemetery on the top of a mound” known as the “mountain of enlightenment” in the local language and which was declared a cultural heritage site. in 1998. But in reality it was much more than that.
A new multidisciplinary study has revealed “multiple stages of construction dating back to thousands of years before Christ, and whose initial phase dates back to the Paleolithic,” explain experts from the Bandung Institute of Technology and the University of Indonesia in an article. published in the journal Archaeological Prospection.
The team of archaeologists, geophysicists, geologists and paleontologists has dedicated years of study to finding evidence that shows that the site is actually the oldest known pyramid in the world, much more archaic than those in Egypt or Central America.
The tropical climate of this region of West Java, characterized by periods of abundant rain, the growth of dense vegetation and the sedimentation of the land, has led to ancient historical and cultural remains being buried for centuries.
Hence, experts studied the structure using seismic tomography, electrical resistivity tomography and ground penetrating radar. They also drilled into the hill and collected core samples that allowed them to use radiocarbon dating techniques to learn the ages of the layers that make up the mound.
By analyzing all the data collected, the researchers found what they describe as clear certainties showing that Gunung Padang was made primarily by human hands. They also found evidence showing that the structure was built in stages thousands of years apart. And they discovered that the oldest parts were built between 25,000 and 14,000 years ago, making it the oldest known pyramid.
More specifically, specialists discovered evidence of several remodelings that, over time, formed a complete structure. The first consisted of sculpted lava, where the builders had carved shapes into the top of a small dead volcano and probably surrounded them with underground chambers and cavities.
Then, several thousand years later, sometime between 7900 and 6100 BC, another group added a layer of bricks and rock columns. After some time, another community added a layer of soil to the hill, covering some of the previous work. Then, sometime between 2000 and 1100 BC, more topsoil, stone terraces, and other elements were added.
The team of experts also found details that suggest there could be some hollow parts within the structure, indicating possible hidden cameras. That is why they propose to go deeper into them and then lower a camera to see what could be in these areas of the mountain.
