The pyramidal-shaped hill rises up from the mists of the surrounding, tropical jungle like an ancient mystery hiding in plain sight. It looks like a natural formation in one moment; like a pyramid in the next; at least that was what geologist Dr. Danny Hilman Natawidjaja thought in 2011.
However, the more he examined it, the more he noticed something very odd about Gunung Padang. It was so peculiar that he decided the ‘hill’ needed to be scientifically evaluated using state-of-the-art geological equipment.
What Hilman found first shocked him and then the staid world of archaeology when he made his findings public. Quite innocently, the geologist set off a firestorm of controversy that is still reverberating throughout the historical-academic community six years later.
The geologist discovered that the ‘hill’ isn’t really a natural formation. Using ground penetrating radar, seismic tomography, resistivity survey and other remote sensing techniques -- as well as some direct excavations and deep-core drilling -- Hilman’s equipment returned surprising results:
Gunang Padang was a buried pyramid that may have been built between 9,000 and 20,000 years ago. That would make if far older than the pyramids of Egypt, a stunning revelation indeed. The results unnerved historians because they would have to rewrite history once again, just as they were assimilating the new chronology forced upon them by Gobleki Tepi.
The site is located on the Indonesian island of Java, about 120 kilometers from the main city, Jakarta. In fact, the existence of the Gunang site was first mentioned in a report titled Rapporten van de Oudheidkundige Dienst (ROD, "Report of the Department of Antiquities") in 1914.
Then in 1949, Dutch historian N. J. Krom also made note. Thereafter, employees of the National Archeology Research Centre visited the site in 1979 for a study of its archaeology, history, and geology. The upshot of these historical studies was that Gunang Padang was a natural formation that exhibited some manmade artifacts.
However, the modern geologist’s advanced technologies showed evidence of human-made chambers that returned carbon-dating results extending as far back as 26,000 years. If verified, this claim would force another rewrite of history, as we know it in the post Gobleki Tepi era.
A two-year excavation project followed Hilman’s initial study. It uncovered a network of halls, gateways, stairs and corridors. According to Hlman, Gunung Padang is “a masterpiece of architecture, and proof of an intelligent and extremely advanced civilization.”
As the Chinese would say we live in exciting times…
Located at an elevation of 885 meters (2903’), above sea level. The site is comprised of a series of terraces bordered by stone retaining walls. Access is made possible by 400 granite (andesite) steps rising about 95 meters (311’).
Geologist, Robert Schoch (of Sphinx re-dating fame) visited the site at the request of his colleague Danny Hilman na in 2014. Schoch later wrote, “The mountain is composed of igneous andesite lava rocks, which formed some millions to tens of millions of years ago. As the lava cooled, it created structures known as columnar joints, and this is the key to understanding Gunung Padang.” (Atlantis Rising magazine, March/April 2014.)
Why did the famous, and controversial geologist, make this important claim? Columnar joints form as lava cools and contracts, they naturally do so organizing in a variety of geometrical shapes. But the main point Schoch was driving at is that the columns stand upright in a vertical formation. This is shown in the following insert.
The columnar joints remain in this vertical formation unless disturbed by an earthquake or human rearrangement. However, at Gunang we find the andesite columns lying horizontally on the ground or in horizontal stacks
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This same building technique was used at Nan Madol, a well-known and heavily studied site located on the island of Pohnpei, Micronesia. Natural volcanic-rock columns were used to build a variety of artificial, stone structures in that remote region of the South Pacific. In his article, Schoch noted, “At Gunung Padang I observed the same building techniques. Rock columns had been carefully separated from each other and used to build a structure that overall appears to be a rough step pyramid.”
The argument is a strong rebuttal against the assertions of critics who claim that Gunang is nothing more than a natural formation. The Gunang sites main appeal and central mystery is its advanced age, which pushes the origin of civilization far back in time, if confirmed eventually.
Well, that was the case until the 2-year excavation was suddenly stopped in 2014. The reasons given for why the investigation was abruptly halted seemed more like vague evasions. Then rumors began to circulate which claimed that a member of the research team, Andi Arief, and a formergovernment official Bambang Yudhono, had mentioned something about an important (undisclosed) discovery.
The story alluded to a “one of a kind in the world” find that involved very “advanced technology.” As the rumor circulated an article titled ‘Archaeologists Slam Excavation of Gunang Padang Site’ was published in the Jakarta Post on Sept. 24, 2014. It contained the following quotes:
“Based on observations by The Jakarta Post, a number of Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers had used hoes in the excavation at eastern and western parts of Gunung Padang, until the inner part of the site appeared. A member of the National Team for the Preservation and Management of the Gunung Padang Site, Danny Hilman, said the excavation had revealed an underground room built by humans in the prehistoric era. Underneath, sand as thick as two meters was found between andesite rocks. The sand should have turned into fossil rock,' said Danny, who is also a researcher from the Geotechnology Research Center at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).”
The newspaper, on site investigation and subsequent article, had been prompted by criticisms of the excavation. The negative comments came from archaeologists. The timing seemed not only curious but suspicious.
As Hilman told the reporter, the team had come across a room that he claimed was built by humans in prehistory…
At the time he also wrote the following description of the team’s progress:
“We have excavated three more spots right on top of the megalithic site in the past couple weeks, which give more evidence and details about the buried structures. We have uncovered lots more stone artifacts from the excavations. The existence of the pyramid-like structure beneath the megalithic site is now loud and clear; even for non-specialists, it is not too difficult to understand if they come and see for themselves. We have found some kind of open hall buried by soil 5-7 meters thick; however we have not yet got into the main chamber. We are now drilling to the suspected location of the chamber (based on subsurface geophysic) in the middle of the megalithic site.”
All of the above takes place in 2014, then the excavation is brought to a full stop. That state of affairs has persisted to this point in time, the winter of 2017. Of course, this twist has added a new level of mystery and intrigue to the Gunang Padang pyramid site.
What exactly did the team encounter during their underground excavations? According to head researcher Arief, “Now we have proof of an inner chamber in Terrace 5, but there are still many more chambers to be discovered.”
The public statements by Hilman and Arief, taken from a twitter, are intriguing to say the least. However, they begin and end there, like a cliffhanger to be continued…but we know not when...
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