Evidences of large pyramid-like structure predating 10,000 Year BP at Mount Padang, West Java, Indonesia:

NS33B - 0785 Applications of geological-geophysical methods to explore buried man-made structures

Danny Hilman Natawidjaja1,2 Andang Bachtiar1,3 Bagus Endar1,4, Andri Subandrio1,5, Mudrik R. Daryono1,2
BACKGROUND 1
The Integrated Independent Research Team of Gunung Padang (TTRM), 2 RC Geotechnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) RESULTS
3
Gunung Padang Megalithic site has been known since early 19 century but only recognized as ancient tombstone Maurel & Prom Oil Company, France, 4 Dept. Geophysics, Institute Technology Bandung 5 Dept. Geology, Institute Technology Bandung STRATIGRAPHY BASED ON CORE LOG, RESISTIVITY AND GRR DATA P
made of stacks of columnar-joint basaltic andesite on top of the mound. In fact, its exposure clearly shows that the
youngest construction is built on top of an older, more sophisticated cultural rock layer. Besides, the morphology of Correspondence: : danny.hilman@gmail.com GPR Radargram
the mound stands out as peculiarly much younger entity compared to the surrounded intensively steam-eroded, RESISTIVITY
rough texture of the Tertiary volcanic rock complex. Hence, it deserves further investigations, particularly on what’s ABSTRACT INVERSE MODEL CORE LOG DESCRIPTIONS
lies beneath the megalithic site including suspected large chambers.
Mount Padang archeological site has been known since late nineteen century as a megalithic complex that sits on top. -1m Near Surface Soil & LAYER 1 Structures
Our studies proves that the structure does not cover just the top but also wrap around the slopes covering about 15 ha LAYER 2: Artificial (sub) horizontal arrangements of columnar-
area at least. Comprehensive geophysical surveys combining ground penetration radar (GPR) and multi-channel resis- MODERATE joint rock columns with fine-grained fillers/cements
-5m
tivity methods, seismic tomography augmented by bore-holes coring data and archeological excavations, show further Unconformity: weathered gravely soils
LAYER 3: Artificial layer consists of much-more-weathered
that the structures are not only superficial but rooted into greater depth. The structures are not built at once but consisting LOW rock fragments including cllumnar-joint rock columnss in
several layers from consecutive periods. The uppermost layer on the surface consists of horizontal piles of basaltic co- weethered fine-grainned maass
lumnar rocks forming step-structure terraces and decorated by exotic arrangements of stand-up rock columns forming -10m
Zone of Weathered rocks and soils ARTIFICIAL
LAYERS
walls, paths and spaces. The second layer, which had been previously misinterpreted as natural rock formation, buried
1-3 meters beneath the ground surface, is a several-meter thick fills consisting of more compact and advance arrange- LAYER 3: as above

ment of similar columnar rocks in fine-grain matrix. The third layer is also artificial arrangement of rock fragments with
LAYER 1
various kinds that extent down to about 15 meter deep. The third layer sits on fractured, massive basaltic lava tongue. HIGH -17m TOP OF MASSIVE ANDESTE
The survey also reveals evidences of large underground cavities or chambers. Results of preliminary radiocarbon dating Slightly weathered basaltic andesite rocks in
Zone of fluctuative water table
indicates that the first layer was built around Cal BP 3,000 - 3,500. The second layer was built around about Cal BP
TERRACE1 Looking south 7,500 - 8300. The third layer was built prior to Cal.BP. 9,500, and could be as old as Cal.BP.28,000. MODIFIED
Fresh, Massive, fractured, basaltic andesite rocks NATURAL
Exposed LAYER 2 ROCKS

SUMMARY: 3D AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF GUNUNG PADANG PYRAMID AND INTERPRETATIONS OF ITS SUBSURFACE
m/sec
-26m
Buried LAYER 2 STRUCTURES BASED ON GPR, MULTI-CHANNEL RESISTIVITY , AND SEISMIC TOMOGRAPHY SURVEYS, CORE DRILLINGS, 3500
underneath soil SEISMIC TOMOGRAPHY EW 10 (East-West)
EXCAVATIONS, AND RADIO-CARBON DATING ANALYSIS
fills of LAYER 1 3000
201 iteration: Layer-2&3
1002 Hz, Lamda ~1.99m Layer-4
Low-velocity body 2000
CHAMBER

METHOD RESISTIVITY 2-D TOMOGRAPHY EW 10.5 (East-West)

We use various near-surface geophysical meth- B LAYER 1 Megalith

ods including multi-channel resistivity, ground LAYER 1 (BROWN) : Stone terraces of fresh columnar-joint 400
0
penetration radar (GPR), seismic tomography rocks on top of thin soils cover the top and slopes of the LAYER 1 man-made construction CARBON DATING 0
and geomagnetic coupled with core drilling mount (Age: Cal BP 3200 -4000), It can be modified at younger 10 SLUMPED FLANK LAYER 2 man-made constr.
Carbon-soils in Layer 1, 2, 3 are sampled for C-14 dating
and excavations. Hence, we are able to com- age). LAYER 3 man-made constr. assuming they were derived from bio-organic activities
20

meter
pare and verify the results of one method to LAYER 4 modified Lava Tounge after constructions. Most analysis are done by Accelera-
anothe for better interpretations of subsurface 30 BASE OF STRUCTURE tor Mass Spectrometry (AMS) technique at
structures. 40 BETA Analytic (www.radiocarbon.com/)
MULTI-CHANNEL RESISTIVITY SURVEY A NORTH
50 SAMPLE #
GP1-295
BETA#
331493
SITE
CoreDrilling #1
SAMPLE TYPE
Soils
LAYER
Near Surface
CONVENTIONAL
C-14 AGE
560 ± 30 BP
CORRECTED AGE
(95.4% Probability)
Cal BP 520 to 640
Percent Modern
Carbon (pMC)
93.3 ± 0.4
We use SuperSting R8 with 58 and 112 TUNNEL/CHAMBER GP1-1115 331494 CoreDrilling #1 soil between rocks Layer 2 13510 ± 50 BP Cal BP 16640 to 16790 18.6 ± 0.1
VOLCANIC TUFF GP2-390 331495 CoreDrilling#1 Filled soil Burying layer 3 8710 ± 40 BP Cal BP 9550 to 9770 33.8 ± 0.2
electrodes (www.agiusa.com); use vari- GP2-750
GP2-1130
331496
331498
CoreDrilling #2
CoreDrilling #2
soil between rocks
soil between rocks
Layer 3
Layer 3
22750 ± 120 BP
19400 ± 80 BP
Cal BP 26990 to 27870
Cal BP 22970 to 23410
5.9 ± 0.1
8.9 ± 0.1

ous electrode spacing to have wide spec- FC5 423691 Trenching Fanta Soils Near Surface 480 ± 30 BP Cal BP 539 to 589 94.2 ± 0.4

trum of resolutions and depth of pen- A (east) LAYER 1

LAYER 2
B bowl-shape WEST <-------------> EAST
ES1
EM4
GP1-500
423690
423689
trenching Echo2
trenching Echo2
BATAN-INA CoreDrilling#1
soil between rocks
soil between rocks
Gravely Soils
underlying Layer 2
Layer 2
Layer 1
7400 ± 30 BP
3630 ± 30 BP
6700 ± 70
Cal BP 8129 to 8339
Cal BP 3899 to 4039
Cal BP 7522 to 7735
39.8 ± 0.2
63.6 ± 0.2
45.2± 0,70

etrations in order to illuminate shallow SEISMIC TOMOGRAPHY SURVEY LAYER 2 (YELLOW) : Artificial rock layer of slightly-moderately bottom Charlie-3 BATAN-INA Charlie-1 soil between rocks Layer 1 3025 ± 30 Cal BP 3206 to 3405 69,38 ± 0,95
LAYER 3 Charlie-4 BATAN-INA Charlie-1 soil between rocks Layer 1 3630 ± 40 Cal BP 3903 to 4072 64,47 ± 0,80
and deeper objects. We conducted 3D The equipment and sofwares are de- weathered columnar-joint rocks interfilled with fine-grained
Charlie-5 BATAN-INA Charlie-1 soil between rocks Layer 2 7095 ± 60 Cal BP 7857 to 8079 42,40 ± 0,60
2D Resistivity LAYER 4
resistivity survey particularly to scan sus- veloped by the Rock Fluid Imaging masses in between, partially exposed and buried by 1-2 m
Lines velocity m/sec SEISMIC TOMOGRAPHY NORTH - SOUTH along Centerline
pected large underground chamber(s). Lab(http://www.rock-fluid.com/). thick soils, thick: ~2-5m (Age : Cal BP 7500 - 8300) 3500
The seismic sources are generated by Layer 2
GROUND PENETRATION RADAR 3000
80
hammer, vibrator, and specially-
We use SIR-2000 and 3000 of GSSI Units design fire cracker.
(www.geophysical.com) with various an- Layer 3 60
tenna including unshielded MLF, shielded CORE DRILLING Chamber? 2000 Basaltic Lava rock
were conducted at 7(seven) sites 40
100Mhz and 250 Mhz; using various an-
tenna frequency gives wide spectrum of around the top. Two sites has drilling Layer 4
resolution and depth of penetration for depths 30- 33 meters, the rest is about 20
different purposes/targets. We con- G15-m depth . The logging as as- ARTIFICIAL WALL 400
sisted by the GDA team
ducted dozens of 2-D line survey
(http://gda.co.id/)
0
350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 (m)
2-D GPR-Radargram North-South centerline 2-D RESISTIVITY (North-South) - runs in the middle 2-m spacing electrode
meter 80
T-2 60
T3
40
T-4
20
T-5
0m
0 44 88 132 176 220m Ohm.m
120 100 50 1500
0 0 LAYER-1&2
LAYER 3 (GREEN) : Artificial rock layer, intensively weath- T = Terrace
ered consists of columnar-joint rocks and others in fine- LAYER-3
Layer 4 (Red): Tertiary Andesitic Basalt Intrusive Vol- 5 T-1 Layer 2 5
28

Elevation (m)
grained mass, buried ~5m deep, thickness ~10m (Age LAYER-4 360
In the beginning, Gunung Padang Mount was a Natural Vol- canic Lava Tounge, modified/carved by human, Layer 3
range :Cal BP 9500 - 28,000 ) 10 10
canic Intrusive-Lava mount, a remnant of a Tertiary volcano buried ~ 15 depth
15 15 5 87
GPR Survey Core Drilling Resistivity Survey > 50K Ohm.m
very high res
INDEX MAP OF TRENCHING ECHO-2 Trench Photo CHARLIE-1 Trench on East Slope 20 Layer 4 20
21
-18 --> VOID
AND CORE DRILLING SITES 3-D RESISTIVITY TOMOGRAPHY - Spacing 6-m grid: Focusing on Chambers 25 25
NORTH <-------------> SOUTH
Suspected -10 5
GP-3 30 30
Radargram GPR with MLF Antenna 40 MHz Chamber
Charlie-1
Charlie-2 Wall 240
2-D RESISTIVITY (North-South) - runs in the middle 8-m spacing electrode
TERRACE-1
Saung
Charlie-3 0 48 96 144 192 240 T 2-5 288 336 384 432 m Ohm.m
Fanta 2-D Slices of the 3D re- 97 1500
Charlie-4 T-1
Beta-2 sistivity tomography LAYER-1&2&3 water
TERRACE-2 Terrace 5
Beta-1 GP-6 GP-7 Drilling Drilling stream
GP-4 ECHO-2 Trench GP-5 LAYER-4
TERRACE-3 FANTA Trench on Terrace 2
GP-1
TERRACE-4 1.5 m SOIL 60 429
FILL
TERRACE-5
Visited by (Former) President of Indonesia and his cabinet in February 2014 BURRIED STRUCTURES

Elevation (m)
Saung
GP-5 GP-4
(LAYER-2)
Sacred > 50K Ohm.m
Alpha Echo-2
Water
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Rumah 4m
Echo-1 Very-high resistivity: Chamber
Wa

besi spring
A special thank to Mr. Andi Arief, who faithfully encourages and sup- GP-2 23 122
ll

Delta
ports the research activities; without him, this study would have 7m 0.2K 5K 20K
? p h i c co r re c t ion
ra
never happened. We are gratefull to Gen.Dr. Soesilo Bambang Yud- Before topog Resistivity Ohm.m 0
hoyono (The former president of Indonesia) and his cabinets, Gen. WATER AQUIFER
Stone artefact
Gatot Nurmantyo, Admiral Ade Sopandi, Mr. Dedy Mizwar (former “KUJANG” VOID/CHAMBER? -14 35
10m
Vice Governor of West Java), and Prof. M. Nuh. We appreciate our (Sundanese Heir-
amazing field team who help us with zeal. We are indebted to all loom) buried LAYER-3 very-high res (Voids)
friends in TTRM and many others that can not be all listed here. under 3-m Cal.
0.2k 6k 30k Artificial
BP 9550 to 9770 LAYER 2 is exposed on surface of TERRACE 2 -51
soil fill at DELTA Resistivity Ohm.m Water Reservoir??? 10