The oldest pyramid in Egypt was built almost 5,000 years ago, but recently research has begun on a similar structure hidden under layers of earth and rubble, which is possibly four times older.
If this is true, this fact could force to rewrite history and shed light on an unknown, but advanced for its time and powerful ancient civilization.
Megalith Gunung Padang was discovered in 1914 and is the largest in Indonesia. It is located 885 meters above sea level among volcanoes, banana palms and tea plantations 120 kilometers south of Jakarta.
Dr. Hillman, chief geologist at the Indonesian Geotechnical Research Center, believes that the found pyramid will be proof of the existence of an ancient advanced civilization on the island of Java and that most of the steps of the pyramid were built by several generations of people. Some of the stones were joined together by an unknown ancient glue, and radiocarbon analysis showed that it was made around 7000 BC.
The structure is covered with massive rectangular stones of volcanic origin and possibly hides walls and rooms, steps and terraces, which is indicative of complex development.
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Based on the studies using GPR, it was concluded that the hill above the structure is 100 meters thick and consists of several layers. Until now, artificial structures have been found at a maximum depth of 15 meters.
Experts date these layers three to four meters below the earth's surface at 6500 and 12,500 years.
However, Dr. Hillman's findings are disputed, and 34 Indonesian archaeologists and geologists have filed a petition criticizing the methods and motives behind his project. They say the excavation threatens the safety of the megalith.
Volcanologist Suticno Bronto believes that the discovered structure is not a pyramid, but a crater of an old volcano, and the stones took their shape as a result of natural erosion, and not under human influence. Another anonymous expert is skeptical about the existence of a developed ancient civilization, believing that the technical equipment of the people of that time was insufficient to build a pyramid, because the tools found in a cave nearby, dating back to 7000 BC, were very primitive.
The oldest pyramids in the world
If the structure in West Java is indeed 20,000 years old, then it will be the oldest on Earth. In 1996, archaeologists discovered pyramids on the Atlantic coast of southern Brazil, built around 3000 BC, making them several hundred years older than the oldest pyramids in Egypt.
Brazilian pyramids are made from shells and were probably built in stages over decades or even centuries, The Independent says.
Djoser's pyramid.
The oldest known pyramid in Egypt is the step pyramid of Djoser, which was built around 2700 BC. e. and consists of six steps. An architect named Imhotep built it for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser. The ancient structure was damaged in 1992 by an earthquake that made a large hole in its domed roof, but restoration is in full swing.