Scientists uncover the 'world's oldest' pyramid Gunung Padang

Researchers have unveiled that Gunung Padang, a colossal 98-foot 'megalith' in Indonesia, could be the oldest pyramid in the world. Initial discovery by Dutch explorers in 1890, the structure, nestled within a hill of volcanic rock, might also stand as the most ancient large-scale man-made edifice, per recent radiocarbon dating evidence. 

The tests place early construction of the pyramid, with its hundreds of steps chiseled from andesite lava, back to more than 16,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age.

The revelation positions Gunung Padang not only as predating Egypt’s Giza pyramids and England’s Stonehenge by over 10,000 years but also illustrates ancient ingenuity akin to the construction techniques proposed for the Egyptian Sphinx. The early Indonesians who built Gunung Padang leveraged the natural landscape, sculpting the pyramid’s foundational layer directly from the hill’s abundant hardened lava flows. 

Recent research indicates that Indonesia’s Gunung Padang, once considered a natural hill, is actually a man-made pyramid predating Egypt’s pyramids and Stonehenge. Lead researcher Danny Hilman Natawidjaja and his team employed radar, drilling, and trenching to reveal the structure’s depth and complexity. Published findings suggest this 'mountain of enlightenment' could redefine ancient human engineering capabilities.

Within the heart of Indonesia’s ancient pyramid, researchers discovered an inner chamber made of carefully shaped lava-stone structures from andesite rock, suggesting an advanced level of craftsmanship. Referred to as Unit 4, this chamber was likely a natural lava hill that was skillfully sculpted and covered over 16,000 to 27,000 years ago, long before the Holocene, the current interglacial period we've been in for the past 11,500 years. This find challenges the timeline of human architectural development. Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12708099/worlds-oldest-pyramid-Gunung-Padang-Indonesia-three-times-older-Stonehenge-Egyptian-pyramids-Giza.html?ito=msngallery 

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