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Where is Gunung Padang Located?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Gunung Padang, located in Indonesia, is considered the world’s oldest pyramid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, this ancient structure has been shrouded in mystery for centuries, and archaeologists<\/a> are still trying to figure out its true purpose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mount Padang is located in the West Java province of Indonesia<\/a>. To be exact, Gunung Padang is situated in the Karyamukti village, Cianjur regency, about 100 kilometers south of the capital city of Jakarta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gunung Padang is a massive complex of stone structures built using sophisticated engineering techniques that predate the agricultural revolution<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many researchers believe ancient people used it as a spiritual center or burial ground. But, unfortunately, we may never know the whole story behind this mysterious pyramid!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Archaeologists consider the structure a pyramid, but it doesn’t fit the general definition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gunung Padang is a megalithic site consisting of stone terraces leading up to a central peak. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The pyramid has several levels, and each has its unique purpose, but archaeologists have yet to determine what purpose because excavations were stopped. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although based on information uncovered from excavations and research from Danny Hilman Natawidjaja, a senior geologist at Indonesia’s Centre for Geotechnical Research, it looks like ancient people built each layer at different times throughout history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Danny and his team concluded after using techniques like penetrating radar surveys, X-ray tomography, 2D and 3D imaging, and core drilling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What brought researchers to this site in the first place were the basalt stones that makeup Gunung Padang. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These basalt stones framed the terraces around the steps and formed walls, paths, and different spaces; the basalt stones were more like carved pillars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gunung Padang is an extraordinary site, and it needs more research before we can determine its purpose and how they built such a massive structure without modern technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it does hint at the possibility that ancient civilizations had more capability than previous research has given them credit for; the terraced pyramid appears to be massive based on, approximately three times larger than Java’s Borobudur Temple<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From what researchers have gleaned so far from Gunung Padang’s excavation, multiple ancient civilizations built off of the work of the people that came before them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are four layers to the Gunung Padang site, with the oldest layer dating back to 25,000 BCE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many professionals refer to this structure as a pyramid, and while it may represent one, Gunung Padang is still an enigma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s not a conventional pyramid in the traditional sense, mainly since it differs from other civilizations previously uncovered in the past, like the Mayans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, Mayan pyramids were symmetrical, and sometimes their cities were planned, which indicates urban planning<\/a>; however, the civilization that built the Gunung Padang pyramid made an elongated structure with a half-circle in the front. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers noticed the pyramid because the shape of its structure is unlike the surrounding topography, which is eroded and more natural-looking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned, the pyramid built by this unnamed civilization was built in layers, so it was likely constructed or built upon by separate people or perhaps different generations of the same tribe or society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many have tried to speculate about the age of these layers, but through preliminary carbon dating, researchers have determined the approximate age of each layer.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The three artificial layers of Gunung Padang are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fourth layer seems to be a carved “lava tongue” of basalt rock modified by the civilizations who constructed the pyramid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s unclear how they could groove or shape basalt, as many hard stones in the same category, like granite, are challenging to work with, let alone carve. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is Gunung Padang?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What About The Layers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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