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No evidence of being man-made': 25,000-year-old pyramid in Indonesia leaves archaeologists scratching their heads A new research paper asserts that a layer of the Gunung Padang pyramid in Indonesia was constructed as far back as 25,000 BC, challenging existing timelines of human construction capabilities. The study was led by Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of the Indonesian ◦ Institute of Sciences and published in the journal * Archaeological Prospection*, raising questions about whether the pyramid's construction was man-made. Researchers argue that the pyramid's core consists of naturally formed andesite lava that was later sculpted and encased, suggesting advanced masonry skills existed during the last glacial period. The study challenges the conventional belief that advanced construction techniques only emerged with the development of agriculture around 1,000 years ago, suggesting earlier origins for such skills. Critics, including Cardiff University's Flint Dibble, dispute the findings noting a lack of clear evidence that humans built the buried layers, arguing that the materials may have naturally oriented themselves.