Archaeologists say 'world's oldest pyramid' was not built by humans

Archaeologists have now said the 'world's oldest pyramids' were not actually made by humans.

History books feature the Djoser Step pyramid in Egypt as the world's oldest pyramid, dating back to 2,630 BC, but now a new paper claims there's one which is even older which wasn't built by humans.

Academics have made bombshell claims about the Gunung Padang pyramid site (Garry Lotulung/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A report published back in October 2023 claims that a layer of the Gunung Padang pyramid in Indonesia is even older.

That's not the only bombshell moment, either.

Many people have been wondering for hundreds and thousands of years how these works of history were constructed.

The paper claims the older layer of the Gunung Padang pyramid was constructed all the way back in 25,000 BC, with doubts being shared that the pyramid was actually manmade.

Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences led the new research, which was shared in a journal called Archaeological Prospection.

In it, the researchers state: “The pyramid’s core consists of meticulously sculpted massive andesite lava."

They continue to elaborate about the 'oldest construction' part of the pyramid, revealing that mother nature might have been responsible instead of mankind.

Academics believe the oldest layer of the pyramid 'likely originated as a natural lava hill before being sculpted and then architecturally enveloped.'

They said: “This study sheds light on advanced masonry skills dating back to the last glacial period.

"This finding challenges the conventional belief that human civilisation and the development of advanced construction techniques emerged only … with the advent of agriculture approximately 11,000 years ago," they added.

The academics looked at evidence from other sites as well as the Gunung Padang pyramid, including the Gobekli Tepe in Turkey.

They went on to say that if the pyramids were built by humans, then the builders 'must have possessed remarkable masonry capabilities.'

Not everyone is convinced though about the wild claims.

Gunung Padang sits at the top of an extinct volcano and is considered a sacred site by locals (Garry Lotulung/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Flint Dibble, an archaeologist from the UK has dismissed the report, saying he was 'surprised it was published as is.'

He told a rival journal, called Nature that there is no evidence to back up their claims.

“Material rolling down a hill is going to, on average, orient itself,” he said.

Elsewhere though, Bill Farley, an archaeologist at Southern Connecticut State University, says 'the 27,000-year-old soil samples from Gunung Padang, although accurately dated, do not carry hallmarks of human activity, such as charcoal or bone fragments.'

The academics behind the original paper have responded to criticism, insisting: “We are really open to researchers around the world who would like to come to Indonesia and do some research programme on Gunung Padang."

The co-editor of the journal, which published the initial report, has said that the an investigation has been launched into the paper.