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The American publisher of a research paper that challenged scientific orthodoxy by claiming that an Indonesian site could be the world’s “oldest pyramid” has announced that the paper has been retracted.
An October 2023 study published in the academic journal Archaeological Exploration makes the explosive claim that Gunung Padang, the deepest layer of the ruins, appears to have been “sculpted” by humans by 27,000 years ago. I did it.
Critics of the study argue that it incorrectly dated human presence at Gunung Padang based on radiocarbon measurements of soil from excavated samples, rather than artifacts. The magazine’s U.S. publisher, Wiley, cited that very reason in a retraction notice issued on Monday.
Gunung Padang is widely considered to be a dormant volcano, and archaeologists believe that the ceramics discovered there so far indicate that humans have been using the area for more than a few hundred years, or nearly 27,000 years. It says that it suggests that. The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt are only about 4,500 years old.
The retraction, based on months of research, said the study was flawed because the soil samples “were not associated with any artifacts or features that could be reliably interpreted as anthropogenic or ‘artificial.'”
Some archaeologists said in interviews that they welcomed the retraction. But the study’s authors called this “unwarranted” and said in a statement Wednesday that the soil layer may contain artifacts and the soil samples “are not considered to be man-made structures or archaeological features.” It’s clearly proven.”
“We urge the academic community, scientific communities and stakeholders to challenge this decision and work with us to uphold the principles of integrity, transparency and fairness in scientific research and publishing. “, the authors write.
The study’s lead author, earthquake geologist Danny Hillman-Natawidjaja, did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did Wiley, nor did Archaeological Exploration magazine editors Irene Arnenwein and Gregory Tsoukas.
Journalist Graham Hancock, one of Natawidjaja’s prominent supporters, said in a statement that he did not consider the retraction to be “fair, legitimate, or good science.” He said the journal should have published a critique of the paper instead of issuing a retraction so readers could make their own decisions.
“Science shouldn’t be about oppression,” said Hancock, who interviewed Natawidjaja for an episode about Gunung Padang in the 2022 Netflix documentary series “Ancient Apocalypse.”
The Society of American Archeology said Hancock’s Netflix show “devalues the archaeological profession based on false claims and disinformation.” He strongly rejected that argument, arguing that archaeologists should be more open to theories that challenge disciplinary orthodoxy. Netflix did not respond to a request for comment on the retraction.
Indonesians have long come to Gunung Padang, a hilltop site dotted with stone terraces, to perform Islamic and Hindu rituals. The domestic story is depicted as a very old pyramid, with support and funding from the central government during the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who stepped down in 2014, but his successor Joko Widodo. The president cut off funding.
Archaeologists said in interviews Wednesday that they welcomed the retraction.
One of them, Bangkok archaeologist Noel Hidalgo Tan, told Wiley of his concerns about the study, but said the retraction was “totally appropriate” because the study’s evidence did not support its conclusions. He said he was thinking about it.
“It’s unfortunate that the paper had to reach this stage,” said Dr Tan, who works at the Regional Center for Southeast Asian Archeology and Art. “But it was better for it to be retracted than for nothing to be said about it.”
Dwi Ratna Nurhajarini, director of the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection in West Java province, where the site is located, said the study’s conclusions should be reconsidered in light of the retraction.
“The structures at Gunung Padang are indeed layered and stepped, reminding us of civilizations from Indonesia’s distant past,” she said by phone on Wednesday. “However, their age may not be as old as suggested.”
Lynn Hindriati Contributed to the report.
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