Gunung Padang: The World’s Oldest Pyramid?

The pyramids of Egypt are one of the most iconic and enduring symbols of human civilization. But what if there is a pyramid even older than the pyramids of Giza? A new study claims that Gunung Padang, a pyramid in Indonesia, is between 25,000 to 14,000 years old, roughly 10,000 years older than the pyramid of Djoser in Egypt, long thought to be the world’s oldest.

The study, published in the journal Archaeological Prospection, used a variety of dating techniques, including radiocarbon dating and ground-penetrating radar, to determine the age of Gunung Padang. The researchers found that the pyramid was built in stages, with the oldest parts dating back to the last Ice Age. Using a variety of geophysical techniques, the researchers were able to map the interior of the hill and develop a timeline for its construction. Core drillings revealed that the pyramid was built in four stages over thousands of years.

The authors explain:

“According to the analysis, Unit 3 [the oldest layer] is estimated to have been constructed during the remarkable timeframe of 25,000 to 14,000 BCE. Following this period, there was a hiatus spanning from 14,000 to 7,900 BCE before Unit 3 was ultimately buried between 7,900 and 6,100 BCE. Remarkably, approximately two millennia later, the construction of Unit 2 took place between 6,000 and 5,500 BCE. Another significant hiatus occurred from 5,500 to 2,100 BCE, followed by the construction of Unit 1 between 2,000 and 1,100 BCE. Lastly, an intriguing excavation of Unit 2 and subsequent soil fills transpired between 1,393 and 1,499 CE.”

The surface of Gunung Padang is covered in deliberately placed megaliths.
Image credit: Natawidjaja et al., Archaeological Prospection, 2023 (CC BY 4.0)

The discovery of Gunung Padang has the potential to rewrite the history of human civilization. If the pyramid is indeed that old, it means that humans were capable of building complex structures much earlier than previously thought. It also raises questions about the origins of civilization and how it spread around the world.

The Gunung Padang pyramid is located in West Java, Indonesia, and is considered a sacred site by the local Sundanese people. It is a massive structure, measuring over 300 meters wide and 98 meters deep. The pyramid is made up of a series of terraces, which are supported by large stone columns.

In 2018, archaeologists first theorised that this whole mound was probably artificial and that Gunung Padang – which means “Mountain of Enlightenment” – is much more than meets the eye. The researchers who conducted the study believe that Gunung Padang was built by an advanced civilization that existed in Indonesia during the last Ice Age. They point to the fact that the pyramid is made up of massive stone blocks that would have been difficult to transport and move without the use of advanced technology.

Simplified reconstruction of Gunung Padang. Unit 1 represents the surficial stone terraces constructed between 2000 and 1100 BCE or more recently. Unit 2 (highlighted in yellow) corresponds to a buried pyramidal-shaped layer composed of columnar rocks and was built around 6000–5500 BCE. Unit 3 (shown in green) dates back to 25 000–14 000 BCE. Unit 4 represents the sculpted massive basaltic-andesite lava. Credit: Danny Hilman Natawidjaja et al / https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/arp.1912

“Radiocarbon dating of organic soils from the structures uncovered multiple construction stages dating back thousands of years BCE, with the initial phase dating to the Palaeolithic era,” write the authors in the study. “This study strongly suggests that Gunung Padang is not a natural hill but a pyramid-like construction.”

Furthermore, hidden chambers / cavities were also found within the site but these need to be investigated further to find out their exact purpose.

The new detailed account of investigations from Gunung Padang is a major archaeological breakthrough. It challenges our understanding of the origins of civilization and suggests that humans were capable of great things much earlier than previously thought. More research is needed to confirm the age of Gunung Padang and to learn more about the civilization that built it.

Implications of the discovery

The discovery of Gunung Padang has a number of implications for our understanding of human history. First, it suggests that humans were capable of building complex structures much earlier than previously thought (it has been thought that sophisticated building techniques were only developed with the advent of agriculture around 11,000 years ago). Second, it raises questions about the origins of civilization and how it spread around the world.

It is possible (though unlikely) that the civilization that built Gunung Padang was the same civilization that built other megalithic structures around the world, such as Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza. This would suggest that there was a global exchange of ideas and technologies during the last Ice Age.

Alternatively, it is possible that the civilization that built Gunung Padang was independent of other civilizations. This would suggest that civilization arose multiple times in different parts of the world.

Certainly, further research is needed to learn more about the Gunung Padang pyramid and the civilization that built it. However, the discovery of the pyramid is a major archaeological breakthrough that challenges our understanding of the origins of civilization.

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Saima Baig

I am a Chartered Environmentalist from the Royal Society for the Environment, UK and co-owner of DoLocal Digital Marketing Agency Ltd, with a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University, an MBA in Finance, and a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics. I am passionate about science, history and environment and love to create content on these topics.