Jakarta, IO – A pyramid-like structure was discovered near Lake Toba, North Sumatra by researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). It was said to be similar to the one found in Gunung Padang, Cianjur, West Java, per CNNIndonesia Thursday (28/9).
Danny Hilman Natawidjaja, a researcher with BRIN Geological Disaster Research Center, revealed that the discovery could be said to be accidental when they were researching the earthquake fault at the site.
He revealed that the pyramid-like rock structure was immense, up to 120 meters high. “It has a pyramid-like shape, even though half of the structure is buried under layers of Toba tuff (a type of porous rock). We estimated it to be 74,000 years old,” he added.
He explained that a team of experts carried out a preliminary survey of the location in 2022. However, the initial hypothesis indicated that the structure was a pyramid related to the geomorphology of the area.
“When I saw this, I immediately became suspicious, this didn’t seem natural. I immediately went to see it, and it turns out it wasn’t,” he said.
Danny said they would conduct more in-depth research to figure out the structure and age of the pyramid as so far there has not been a single study about it. The pyramid is not located in a forest that is difficult to reach.
“Many geologists and archaeologists have been there. But it’s surprising that no one has seen this pyramid before,” he noted.
He pointed out that the pyramid was hidden by trees and shrubs that grew on top of the stone structure. Meanwhile, local residents think the stone structure to be an ancestral civilization that was simply abandoned.
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The locals nicknamed the pyramid as Hill A, because it is arranged in a triangle like the letter ‘A’. He said this discovery could be developed into an icon of tourism in Toba in the future.
“We need to find out who built it, for what, how it relates to the history of Toba ancestors,” Danny said. (un)