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Although the Giza Pyramids, built around 4,500 years ago, remain a stunning spectacle, they are not the oldest structures on Earth. Several archaeological sites predate the pyramids by millennia. This list highlights some of the most fascinating and historically significant locations, including the vastest human-made landscape and a curious discovery involving avocados that led to the unearthing of a gigantic and enigmatic megalithic complex.
10. The Tel Tsaf Charcoal—7,000 Years Old
In Israel's Jordan Valley, the remnants of a prehistoric village stand as a testament to ancient life. What sets this site apart from similar-aged settlements is a peculiar find—charcoal. While it may seem unremarkable, testing the charred wood revealed it to be 7,000 years old. And there was even more to uncover.
The wood came from olive and fig trees, a discovery that was quite unexpected. These specimens, linked to fruit tree cultivation, indicate that olive and fig farming thrived long before the pyramids were constructed.
This discovery not only provided the earliest known example of this type of agriculture but also revealed that the trees offered more than just food and firewood. They brought wealth to the villagers. Many homes were equipped with large silos capable of storing vast quantities of crops—far more than any household could consume. This strongly suggests that the village engaged in long-distance trade, dealing in dried figs and olive oil.
9. The Janera Complex—7,000 Years Old
In 2022, developers aimed to plant avocado trees on a plot of land in Huelva, Spain. Before they could start, however, they needed a permit, which included a land survey. During the survey, they stumbled upon one stone after another, revealing that they were walking through a vast megalithic complex.
The La Torre-La Janera site, dating back around 7,000 years, features more than 500 standing stones, though many are still thought to be buried. The sheer number of stones secures its position as one of the largest complexes in Europe, but what makes Janera unique is its incredible variety of megalithic structures—an unmatched collection in the Iberian Peninsula.
Unlike most other sites that feature only dolmens or stone circles, this complex boasts an impressive variety, including dolmens, circles, mounds, enclosures, over 500 standing stones, and cists (stone boxes resembling caskets).
8. The Vinor Roundel—7,000 Years Old
The oldest known architectural evidence in Europe consists of enigmatic earthworks known as roundels. Scattered across Central Europe, these circular structures remain a mystery. In the Czech Republic, the Vinor Roundel was discovered by construction workers in the 1980s, but only in 2022 was it fully excavated.
The roundel's purpose is unclear, but researchers speculate it may have been built by a Stone Age community using it as a gathering space around 7,000 years ago. This particular structure spanned 180 feet (55 meters) in diameter and featured three entrances. The builders were likely part of the Stroked Pottery culture, known for their farming skills and longhouse construction, thriving between 4900 BC and 4400 BC.
7. The Arma Veirana Grave—10,000 Years Old
In 2017, researchers made a heartbreaking discovery. While excavating Italy’s Arma Veirana cave, they uncovered the grave of a baby girl. Though tragic, this finding intrigued the scientists. Infant graves from such ancient times are incredibly rare in Europe. The baby, named “Neve,” was notable for another reason. Her grave dated back 10,000 years, making her the oldest female child ever discovered in Europe.
But Neve had one more surprise in store for the researchers. Her burial offered an answer to a longstanding question: “How did people carry their infants back then?” It was commonly assumed that animal skins or perishable fabrics were used to create baby slings, which would explain why none have survived to modern times. Neve’s grave was the first evidence confirming this theory.
In 2022, a new study focused on the shells found around Neve’s remains. Their positioning, along with the baby’s body posture, strongly suggested that she had been buried in a shell-adorned baby sling, likely the same sling her parents had used to carry her during her brief life.
6. The Wurdi Youang Stones—11,000 Years Old
The Wurdi Youang stone formation is located west of Melbourne, Australia. This ancient site features 90 blocks of basalt, carefully arranged in a way that evokes comparisons to Stonehenge. However, the Wurdi Youang stones are considerably smaller, with the tallest stones no higher than waist level.
While the true function of the Wurdi Youang stones is still a mystery, researchers believe that Aboriginal astronomers used the site to observe the sun’s movement and mark the solstices.
Stonehenge may be taller, but it’s not the oldest. In 2016, a team of geologists and experts examined the site and proposed that it could be as ancient as 11,000 years. If this is confirmed, Wurdi Youang would become the world’s earliest known observatory.
5. The LSU Mounds—11,000 Years Old
If you’re not paying attention, the LSU mounds might look like nothing more than landscaping features. Situated on the Louisiana State University campus, they’re not exactly where you’d expect to find some of the earliest man-made structures in the Americas. However, these well-maintained grassy mounds date back a staggering 11,000 years.
At least one of the mounds does. Researchers recently scaled the 20-foot (6-meter) heights of Mound B and extracted core samples containing ancient clay, ash, plant material, and animal bones. These samples confirmed that Mound B is the older of the two, while Mound A is approximately 7,500 years old.
The construction of the mounds was a lengthy process. Research indicates that indigenous people spent thousands of years gradually building them up, layering clay and burning organic material atop the mounds. Interestingly, when both mounds were finished around 6,000 years ago, they aligned perfectly with the bright star Arcturus.
4. The Kimberley Gwion Gallery—12,000 Years Old
In Western Australia, the Kimberley region holds a unique collection of rock art. Created in the Gwion style, these Aboriginal artworks depict human figures adorned with anklets, bracelets, and headdresses. Upon discovery, it was clear that the artwork was ancient, but dating it proved to be a challenge. Initially, experts estimated the gallery to be about 17,000 years old.
In 2020, scientists discovered wasp nests within the area. While the nests themselves were ancient, they provided a clue—any artwork beneath the nests would be older than the nests, and any on top would be younger.
This provided a timeframe for dating the gallery. After testing over 100 nests, the results revealed that the art dates back 12,000 years. Though younger than initially believed, it remains about 7,000 years older than the Giza pyramids.
3. Messak Settafet—Prehistory
In 2011, researchers returned to the Sahara Desert to reexamine the Messak Settafet escarpment. Stretching 217 miles (350 kilometers) in length and averaging 37 miles (60 kilometers) in width, this sandstone formation is not entirely a product of nature.
While the site contains ancient stone tools, what sets it apart is the exceptional quality of the rock, which would have attracted prehistoric toolmakers. The real surprise, however, is the sheer number of abandoned tools discovered at Messak Settafet. The 2011 expedition found an average of 75 million artifacts per 0.38 square mile (1 square kilometer).
This vast collection of tools reflects hundreds of thousands of years of human and earlier hominid activity. They carved pieces from the escarpment for weapons and tools, leaving behind many abandoned items along the way, which ultimately makes Messak Settafet the oldest human-made landscape on Earth.
2. The East Kalimantan Grave—31,000 Years Old
In 2020, archaeologists discovered a skeleton in a limestone cave in Borneo. The left foot was missing. Typically, the absence of such a key body part would be enough to frustrate researchers, as it could obscure vital information. However, this time, the team was overjoyed.
Around 31,000 years ago, the individual had undergone a highly skilled amputation of their foot, surviving for nearly a decade afterward. This discovery was perplexing, especially considering that the surgeons lived in a time before agriculture and permanent settlements—two factors believed to have triggered significant advancements in medicine.
The discovery of the skeleton already makes it an extraordinary case—the world’s oldest known medical amputation. But the real mystery is how these hunter-gatherers were able to recognize when it was necessary to amputate a limb for health reasons, and how they possessed the expertise to provide pain relief, avoid veins and nerves, stop excessive bleeding, and prevent post-surgical infection.
1. The Powars II Quarry—13,000 Years Old
Situated in Wyoming's Rocky Mountains, the Powars II quarry had been briefly noted by archaeologists in the 1980s but was not fully appreciated for its significance. However, in more recent years, a new team revisited the site and determined that Powars II dates back 13,000 years, making it the oldest red ochre quarry in the Americas.
The excavation revealed a treasure trove of mining tools, bones, weapons, and beads. This vast collection of thousands of items further established Powars II as one of the richest Paleoindian sites ever discovered.
What’s particularly fascinating is that the quarry wasn’t just frequented by locals. Some artifacts suggest that people traveled great distances to extract the valuable red pigment from the mountain. Experts believe that the ochre found at other archaeological sites across the American mid-continent likely originated from this very quarry.
