No. 206

Gunung Padang

Where

West Java, Indonesia

Built by

Disputed

Era

Disputed

Known for

Stone terraces on a hilltop.

How it ended

A 2023 claim of 20,000-plus years was retracted in 2024; its age is still argued.

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Background

Gunung Padang is an archaeological site located in Karyamukti, West Java, Indonesia, 50 kilometres (31 mi) southwest of Cianjur. Located at 885 metres (2,904 ft) above sea level, the site covers a hill—an extinct volcano—in a series of five terraces bordered by retaining walls of stone that are accessed by 370 successive andesite steps rising about 95 metres (312 ft). It is covered with massive hexagonal stone columns of volcanic origin. The Sundanese people consider the site sacred and believe it was the result of King Siliwangi's attempt to build a palace in one night.

Gunung Padang consists of a series of five artificial terraces—one rectangular and four trapezoidal—that occur, in succession, at progressively higher elevations. These terraces also diminish in size as elevation increases, with the first being the lowest and largest, and the fifth being the highest and smallest. The terraces are aligned along a central longitudinal NW–SE axis. They are artificial platforms created by lowering elevated areas and filling in depressions until a flat surface was achieved. The perimeters of the terraces feature retaining walls constructed from volcanic polygonal columns, stacked horizontally and erected vertically as posts. Access to the complex is provided by a central stairway with 370 steps, an inclination of 45 degrees, and a length of 110 m (360 ft).

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.