The oldest pyramid in the world? The construction could not have been done by humans

A 2023 survey found that a mountain in Indonesia was actually a pyramid, the oldest in the world, having been built 25,000 years ago. The article was published in a magazine, but has now been removed because it contained a potentially serious error.

The study was published in the journal Archaeological excavation It has attracted some media attention due to the fact that the pyramid is very old. But once it was published, archaeologists not involved in the research questioned the discovery.

According to the results, the mound does not have a natural pyramidal shape, but was carefully carved between 25 and 14 thousand years ago. The study's researchers also point out that there are hidden cameras and cavities at the site, in addition to the fact that it was deliberately buried several times, to hide and preserve the structure.

If that were true, work would have begun long before the construction of the pyramids, which are currently considered the oldest. Even before the advent of agriculture.

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Archaeologists do not believe that the pyramid is a human construction

For a claim like this, which could change everything we know about human development, very strong evidence is needed. In the absence of these facts, many archaeologists began to come up with arguments that discredit the “oldest pyramid in the world.”

• Lutfi Yundari, BRIN archaeologist in Bandung, Indonesia, in response to natureHe pointed out that people in the region lived in caves between 12 and 6 thousand years ago and did not have significant knowledge of construction, so it is unlikely that a pyramid was built at the site thousands of years ago.
• Flint Dibble, an archaeologist at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, pointed out that the study data is real, but the conclusions drawn from it are unjustified. For example, organic soil dating cannot be read as evidence that the formation has a human origin. ;
• As for the ancient soil, other archaeologists believe that although dating indicates that it dates back to 27 thousand years ago, the samples do not show signs of human activity, such as bone fragments and charcoal.

All this controversy led the magazine to investigate, and A to retreat It was announced that the article had been withdrawn.

The publisher and co-editors investigated these concerns and concluded that the article contained a serious error. This error, which was not identified during peer review, was that radiocarbon dating was applied to soil samples that were not associated with any artifacts or features that could be reliably interpreted as man-made or “artificial.” Therefore, the interpretation that the site is an ancient pyramid built 9,000 years ago or more is incorrect and the article must be withdrawn.

Archaeological excavation, in decline

The study authors reiterated the journal's review in a publication dated Facebook Pointing out that the decision is unfair. According to them, the research that showed that the mountain is the oldest pyramid in the world was conducted in a way that does not allow for errors.

These layers are accompanied by numerous small portable artefacts, providing tangible evidence of their human origin.

The study's authors, in a Facebook post

Until stronger evidence is presented to prove that the mound is indeed the older pyramid, the most likely explanation is that it is a natural formation.