00:00Welcome to our journey into one of the most mysterious and debated ancient sites in Southeast
00:06Asia, Gunning Padang in Indonesia.
00:09From sacred legends to controversial claims of its being the world's oldest pyramid, this
00:15place is full of secrets waiting to be uncovered.
00:18Let's explore it step by step in simple words.
00:21Gunning Padang is an ancient archaeological site located in the village of Kariyamakti
00:27in West Java, Indonesia.
00:29It sits on the top of a hill, which is actually an extinct volcano, about 885 meters above
00:36sea level and around 50 kilometers southeast of Sianjar.
00:40To reach the top of this sacred hill, visitors must claim 370 stone steps made of andesite
00:48rock.
00:49These steps lead up about 95 meters to the site, which is made of five stone terraces or platforms,
00:55each smaller and higher than the one below.
00:58These terraces are shaped either rectangular or trapezoidal and were carefully built by
01:03flattening the ground using volcanic stones.
01:07The large stone blocks, the sides are hexagonal and volcanic in origin.
01:12The Sudanese people who lived in the area believe Gunning Padang is a sacred place.
01:18According to legend, it was built overnight by King Silivange, as he tried to construct a
01:24palace in one night.
01:25The first known mansion of Gunning Padang came from a Dutch historian Roger Warby in 1891.
01:31He described it as a place with four stone terraces connected by rough stone steps and decorated
01:37with upright stone columns.
01:39He believed that each terraces had a mound, possibly a grave covered and surrounded by stones.
01:46Another archaeologist, Nicholas Johannes Karom, also mentioned the site in a 1914 report.
01:52However, after that, Gunning Padang was mostly forgotten until a group of local farmers rediscovered
01:59it in 1979.
02:01This rediscovery brought attention from Indonesian archaeologists, local government officials,
02:06and cultural groups.
02:08From the 1980s onward, research and preservation efforts were carried out.
02:12In 1998, it was declared a heritage site.
02:16By 2014, the government officially named it a national site, covering about 72 acres.
02:22There is still debate about how old Gunning Padang really is.
02:26Mainstream archaeologists like Luffy Yonri think it was a build sometimes between the 2nd
02:32and 5th century CE, while others like Harry Truman, Simon Juntick suggest a slightly later
02:39period between the 6th and 18th century CE.
02:43However, poetry found that the site dates back to around 45 BCE to 22 CE, which sports the
02:50idea that the site is at least 2,000 years old.
02:53However, a more controversial theory came from the Indonesian geologist Danny Hillman Nithadaja.
02:59He claimed that the Gunning Padang is actually a joint man-made pyramid built between 9,000
03:05and 20,000 years ago, suggesting the presence of an unknown ancient civilization.
03:11Many scientists rejected this claim.
03:14Volcanologist Suti Yono Bronto said the hill is a natural volcanic formation, not an ancient
03:20pyramid.
03:21Gunning Padang remains one of the most fascinating and debated ancient sites in the world.
03:27Whether it's a 2,000-year-old sacred structure or something far older, it continues to attract
03:33researchers, travelers, and spiritual seekers.
03:36The Indonesian government continues to protect and promote the site.
03:40Unresponsible tourism is encouraged.
03:43Despite the controversies, Gunning Padang stands as a powerful reminder of the complexity
03:49and richness of Indonesia's ancient past.
03:52What do you think, it is an ancient wonder, lost in time, or a misunderstood natural hill?
03:57Let us know in the comments below.
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04:04on ancient places and unsolved mysteries.
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