In a new research paper, the researchers made a stunning claim that a layer of the Gunung Padang pyramid in&nbsp;Indonesia was built in 25,000 BC while raising doubts about whether the construction was man-made at all.

With this claim, the oldest pyramid of Egypt - the Djoser Step pyramid - has found itself in a controversial position. The pyramid which is around 2,630 BC has been listed officially in the Guinness World Records.

The research was headed by Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and the paper was published in the journal&nbsp;Archaeological Prospection.

In the paper, the academics stated that “the pyramid’s core consists of meticulously sculpted massive andesite lava” and that the “oldest construction” element of the pyramid “likely originated as a natural lava hill before being sculpted and then architecturally enveloped”.

“This study sheds light on advanced masonry skills dating back to the last glacial period. This finding challenges the conventional belief that human civilisation and the development of advanced construction techniques emerged only … with the advent of agriculture approximately 11,000 years ago," they wrote.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/archaeologists-unseal-2000-year-old-mummy-discovered-in-italys-tomb-of-cerberus-745373">Archaeologists unseal 2000-year-old mummy discovered in Italy's 'Tomb of Cerberus'</a>

“Evidence from Gunung Padang and other sites, such as Gobekli Tepe [in Turkey], suggests that advanced construction practices were already present when agriculture had, perhaps, not yet been invented," the researchers added.

<h2>No hallmarks of human activity in 27,000-year-old soil samples of Gunung Padang pyramid: Study</h2>

The academics further said that the builders “must have possessed remarkable masonry capabilities”, but one UK archaeologist has rubbished the paper, saying he is “surprised [it] was published as is”.

Speaking to the journal&nbsp;Nature, Cardiff University's Flint Dibble said that there is no clear evidence which suggests that humans built the buried layers.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;India's First sunken museum opens at Humayun's Tomb site

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indias-first-sunken-museum-opens-at-humayuns-tomb-site-746896/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“Material rolling down a hill is going to, on average, orient itself,” Dibble said, adding that no evidence suggests “working or anything to indicate that it’s man-made”.

Meanwhile, Southern Connecticut State University's archaeologist Bill Farley said that “the 27,000-year-old soil samples from Gunung Padang, although accurately dated, do not carry hallmarks of human activity, such as charcoal or bone fragments”.

Responding to the criticism, Natawidjaja said, “We are really open to researchers around the world who would like to come to Indonesia and do some research programme on Gunung Padang”.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

In a new research paper, the researchers made a stunning claim that a layer of the Gunung Padang pyramid in Indonesia was built in 25,000 BC while raising doubts about whether the construction was man-made at all.

In a new research paper, the researchers made a stunning claim that a layer of the Gunung Padang pyramid in Indonesia was built in 25,000 BC while raising doubts about whether the construction was man-made at all. With this claim, the oldest pyramid of Egypt - the Djoser Step pyramid - has found itself in a controversial position. The pyramid which is around 2,630 BC has been listed officially in the Guinness World Records. The research was headed by Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and the paper was published in the journal Archaeological Prospection. In the paper, the academics stated that “the pyramid’s core consists of meticulously sculpted massive andesite lava” and that the “oldest construction” element of the pyramid “likely originated as a natural lava hill before being sculpted and then architecturally enveloped”. “This study sheds light on advanced masonry skills dating back to the last glacial period. This finding challenges the conventional belief that human civilisation and the development of advanced construction techniques emerged only … with the advent of agriculture approximately 11,000 years ago," they wrote. Also Read: Archaeologists unseal 2000-year-old mummy discovered in Italy's 'Tomb of Cerberus' “Evidence from Gunung Padang and other sites, such as Gobekli Tepe [in Turkey], suggests that advanced construction practices were already present when agriculture had, perhaps, not yet been invented," the researchers added. No hallmarks of human activity in 27,000-year-old soil samples of Gunung Padang pyramid: Study The academics further said that the builders “must have possessed remarkable masonry capabilities”, but one UK archaeologist has rubbished the paper, saying he is “surprised [it] was published as is”. Speaking to the journal Nature, Cardiff University's Flint Dibble said that there is no clear evidence which suggests that humans built the buried layers. Watch: India's First sunken museum opens at Humayun's Tomb site “Material rolling down a hill is going to, on average, orient itself,” Dibble said, adding that no evidence suggests “working or anything to indicate that it’s man-made”. Meanwhile, Southern Connecticut State University's archaeologist Bill Farley said that “the 27,000-year-old soil samples from Gunung Padang, although accurately dated, do not carry hallmarks of human activity, such as charcoal or bone fragments”. Responding to the criticism, Natawidjaja said, “We are really open to researchers around the world who would like to come to Indonesia and do some research programme on Gunung Padang”. (With inputs from agencies)

Humans DID NOT build world’s oldest pyramid 25,000 years ago, but was created by...

After a break of 20 years,&nbsp;Afghanistan&#39;s first&nbsp;cementfactory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln.

In an area desperately short of industry and jobs, workers hope the relaunch of the plant, built by Czech engineers in 1957 and shut by the Taliban in 1995, heralds the revival of an industry shattered by decades of war and destruction.

&quot;By selling our products and improving the factory&#39;s production, we can avoid having our young generation go abroad,&quot; said Amir Mohammad. &quot;If there are job possibilities, they can stay with their families and look after their children.&quot;

But the outdated state-owned plant 75 km (47 miles) outside Kabul also shows how far there is to go before that promise can be achieved and there are serious questions whether the plant has a viable future unless it is thoroughly modernised.

Jabal Saraj, which now employs 150 workers, is a small factory with daily capacity of 100 tonnes and equipment that is at least 40 years out of date, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a 2011 report.

&quot;We&#39;ve tried our best and got the factory running using its old machinery,&quot; said Abdul Wakil, one of a group of former workers who have returned to help get the plant working again. &quot;As long as we have electricity, it will work.&quot;

Talks with a private operator to develop a separate, larger plant at Jabal Saraj have run for months, but for now, the government has decided the old plant still serves a purpose, a spokesman for the country&#39;s mines and petroleum ministry said.

&quot;This old factory is useful and has a profitable production capacity,&quot; Mohyaddin Noori added. &quot;It provides job opportunities.&quot;

Afghanistan&#39;s only other major&nbsp;cement&nbsp;manufacturer, the Ghori&nbsp;cement&nbsp;plant, has daily capacity of more than 1,000 tonnes, but domestic industry is dwarfed by the millions of tonnes of imports from neighbours, including Pakistan and Iran.

That fierce competition makes it tough to find domestically produced&nbsp;cement&nbsp;in Kabul&#39;s main wholesale markets, even despite the fact that domestic&nbsp;cement&#39;s bulk and relatively low cost should penalize foreign&nbsp;cement, trucked in hundreds of miles.

&quot;We have only Pakistani&nbsp;cement,&quot; said trader Ershad Shinwari. &quot;Afghan-made&nbsp;cement&nbsp;is not coming to us.&quot;

Demand for building materials has fallen sharply since international forces left in 2014 but the market has not collapsed and director Mohammadi hopes for domestic growth.

&quot;There is huge demand for&nbsp;cement&nbsp;in&nbsp;Afghanistan,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ve got the factory working, so it will give investors a chance.&quot;

For the moment, however, Jabal Saraj relies on government subsidy to survive. The economics may be tough, but it is people nearby who are mainly looking for work.

&quot;We ask the other countries to help this factory and provide new machinery to replace the old machines,&quot; said plant worker Wazir Mohammad.

&quot;It will be very useful for our people as long as there is poverty in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;and everyone suffers insecurity.&quot;

After a break of 20 years,?Afghanistan's first?cementfactory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln. In an area desperately short of industry and jobs, workers hope the relaunch of the plant built by Czech engineers in 1957 and shut by the Taliban in 1995.

After a break of 20 years, Afghanistan's first cementfactory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln. In an area desperately short of industry and jobs, workers hope the relaunch of the plant, built by Czech engineers in 1957 and shut by the Taliban in 1995, heralds the revival of an industry shattered by decades of war and destruction. "By selling our products and improving the factory's production, we can avoid having our young generation go abroad," said Amir Mohammad. "If there are job possibilities, they can stay with their families and look after their children." But the outdated state-owned plant 75 km (47 miles) outside Kabul also shows how far there is to go before that promise can be achieved and there are serious questions whether the plant has a viable future unless it is thoroughly modernised. Jabal Saraj, which now employs 150 workers, is a small factory with daily capacity of 100 tonnes and equipment that is at least 40 years out of date, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a 2011 report. "We've tried our best and got the factory running using its old machinery," said Abdul Wakil, one of a group of former workers who have returned to help get the plant working again. "As long as we have electricity, it will work." Talks with a private operator to develop a separate, larger plant at Jabal Saraj have run for months, but for now, the government has decided the old plant still serves a purpose, a spokesman for the country's mines and petroleum ministry said. "This old factory is useful and has a profitable production capacity," Mohyaddin Noori added. "It provides job opportunities." Afghanistan's only other major cement manufacturer, the Ghori cement plant, has daily capacity of more than 1,000 tonnes, but domestic industry is dwarfed by the millions of tonnes of imports from neighbours, including Pakistan and Iran. That fierce competition makes it tough to find domestically produced cement in Kabul's main wholesale markets, even despite the fact that domestic cement's bulk and relatively low cost should penalize foreign cement, trucked in hundreds of miles. "We have only Pakistani cement," said trader Ershad Shinwari. "Afghan-made cement is not coming to us." Demand for building materials has fallen sharply since international forces left in 2014 but the market has not collapsed and director Mohammadi hopes for domestic growth. "There is huge demand for cement in Afghanistan," he said. "We've got the factory working, so it will give investors a chance." For the moment, however, Jabal Saraj relies on government subsidy to survive. The economics may be tough, but it is people nearby who are mainly looking for work. "We ask the other countries to help this factory and provide new machinery to replace the old machines," said plant worker Wazir Mohammad. "It will be very useful for our people as long as there is poverty in Afghanistan and everyone suffers insecurity."

Hopes and fears for jobs as Afghan cement factory reopens

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