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A controversial study asserting that Indonesia's Gunung Padang pyramid may be 25,000 years old has revived debate on the origins of human civilization, pressing against a widely-held belief regarding when advanced building techniques began.

The research, led by Dr. Danny Hilman Natawidjaja from Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency-BRIN, and published in Archaeological Prospection in late 2023, suggested that the hilltop site in West Java may very well be the world's oldest known pyramid, more than 20,000 years older than Egypt's Djoser Step Pyramid.

However, the paper, which claimed to uncover multiple ancient construction layers beneath the visible terraces, has since been retracted after criticism from archaeologists and geologists questioned the methods and interpretations used.

Gunung Padang: The “Mountain of Enlightenment”

Located some 3,000 feet above sea level, Gunung Padang translates to "Mountain of Enlightenment," and has long been considered a place of spiritual significance by local people. The area is covered in stone "terracing" overlooking West Java's lush volcanic landscape. The research conducted here utilised ground-penetrating radar, seismic tomography, and radiocarbon dating to analyse subterranean structures.

Dr. Natawidjaja and his team considered that the core structure consisted of sculpted andesite lava blocks that may have been intentionally shaped and then covered by later construction. The researchers wrote that the builders “must have possessed remarkable masonry capabilities,” suggesting human sophistication far earlier than previously thought.

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25,000-Year-Old Pyramid?

The paper's bold conclusions immediately met skepticism. Critics said that while the site itself is archaeologically important, there is no direct evidence of human activity dating from 25,000 years ago. Flint Dibble, an archaeologist at Cardiff University, told Nature that the findings likely confused natural rock formations with human architecture. "Material rolling down a hill can orient itself naturally. There's no evidence of tool marks or man-made working," he said.

Similarly, Bill Farley from Southern Connecticut State University noted that although the soil samples were old, they lacked any charcoal, bone fragments, or artifacts characteristic of human construction. In early 2024, Archaeological Prospection formally retracted the study because "the conclusions are not adequately supported by the evidence provided."

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But even after the retraction, Dr. Natawidjaja defended the work, labeling the criticism “censorship” and calling for international researchers to independently study Gunung Padang. The controversy has also drawn attention from alternative history proponents like author Graham Hancock, known for theories of lost Ice Age civilizations.

While mainstream archaeology still dismisses the notion of a pyramid that is 25,000 years old, the episode renews public fascination with the deep past of humanity and how much of it might yet be buried beneath layers of earth and time.

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