# Lewis 2023: Experts Doubt Claims that World's Oldest Pyramid Was Discovered in Indonesia

> Dyani Lewis, 2023. 10 records on Mysteries Department cite it. Cited for the critics' arguments that the dated soils carry no sign of human activity and…

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# Experts Doubt Claims that World's Oldest Pyramid Was Discovered in Indonesia

Dyani Lewis, 2023. _Scientific American (reprinted from Nature News)_.

News report of 28 November 2023 on the criticism of the paper by Lutfi Yondri (BRIN), Flint Dibble (Cardiff) and Bill Farley (Southern Connecticut State), and on the journal's investigation under COPE guidelines.

**Gunung Padang** Web pageChecked against the original0

## What it's used for here

Cited for the critics' arguments that the dated soils carry no sign of human activity and that the layers may be natural.

## Cited by on this site 10 records

[The anomaly is fractured, loose or open-jointed volcanic rock, not a built space.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/gunung-padang/answers/ANS0D32CQSP4MNH/the-anomaly-is-fractured-loose-or-open-jointed-volcanic-rock)

Answer

ANS

[The buried columns are in or near their natural position, cooled in place or slumped downslope.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/gunung-padang/answers/ANS0D32CPJM1CC2/the-buried-columns-are-in-or-near-their-natural-position)

Answer

ANS

[The core is a volcanic body with natural columnar jointing; the deep layers are weathered and slumped columns…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/gunung-padang/answers/ANS0D32CJDT28T3/the-core-is-a-volcanic-body-with-natural-columnar-jointing)

Answer

ANS

[Critics attribute the layered structure to natural weathering and movement of columns, which would also…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/gunung-padang/evidence/EVD0D32CR1G0NZA/critics-attribute-the-layered-structure-to-natural)

Evidence

EVD

[Material moving downslope tends to orient itself, which can produce apparent order in the layers.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/gunung-padang/evidence/EVD0D32CJXE7WK5/material-moving-downslope-tends-to-orient-itself-which-can)

Evidence

EVD

[Natawidjaja argues the stones are too orderly and too massive to have been moved that far by nature.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/gunung-padang/evidence/EVD0D32CPAT4ED7/natawidjaja-argues-the-stones-are-too-orderly-and-too)

Evidence

EVD

[No stonemasonry is known in the region from the period people lived in its caves, about 12,000 to 6,000 years…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/gunung-padang/evidence/EVD0D32CJ6008ZH/no-stonemasonry-is-known-in-the-region-from-the-period)

Evidence

EVD

[The dated soil samples contain no charcoal, bone or artefacts.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/gunung-padang/evidence/EVD0D32CHY67B01/the-dated-soil-samples-contain-no-charcoal-bone-or-artefacts)

Evidence

EVD

[Gunung Padang](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/gunung-padang)

The mystery article

MYS

[Were the buried andesite columns placed by people or are they in natural position?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/gunung-padang/questions/QST0D32CG7G23PE/were-the-buried-andesite-columns-placed-by-people-or-are)

Question

QST

## Cite it

```
Lewis, D. (2023). Experts Doubt Claims that World's Oldest Pyramid Was Discovered in Indonesia. Scientific American (reprinted from Nature News). https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-doubt-claims-that-worlds-oldest-pyramid-was-discovered-in-indonesia
```

[Read it free at scientificamerican.com](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-doubt-claims-that-worlds-oldest-pyramid-was-discovered-in-indonesia)

Key

**SRC** 0D32C85P3MSD

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Web page

Rights

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Kept

29 Oct 2026, for editors

Checked

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