From 2011 to 2015, a dedicated team led by geologist Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency delved deep into the mysteries of Gunung Padang.
Using ground-penetrating radar, core drilling, and trench excavation techniques, the researchers were able to explore the pyramid’s first layers, which extend a staggering 98 feet below the surface.
Within Gunung Padang’s core, the team uncovered meticulously sculpted and massive lava-stone structures made of andesite, a fine-grained igneous rock.
This innermost chamber, known as Unit 4, likely started as a natural lava hill before being sculpted and enveloped during the last glacial period, between 16,000 and 27,000 years ago.
A Monument Built Across Millennia
The researchers believe that Gunung Padang was constructed in a complex and sophisticated series of stages, with each layer representing a different era.
After the construction of Unit 4 during the Ice Age, it was abandoned for thousands of years. Subsequently, around 7900–6100 BCE, Unit 3 was deliberately buried with substantial soil fills, marking a deliberate transition.
