When we think of pyramids, our minds often drift to the ancient Egyptians and their magnificent structures. However, beyond the towering pyramids on the Giza Plateau, there exist thousands of pyramid structures scattered across the planet.

Every region on Earth boasts its own pyramids, from the Americas and Europe to Asia and even India. One such European pyramid rests in Greece – the Hellenikon pyramid in Argos. Presently, this pyramid stands as a crumbling remnant of its former self.

Yet, the Hellenikon pyramid in Greece predates Egypt’s oldest known pyramid by 170 years (the pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser – 2620 BCE) and surpasses the age of the Great Pyramid of Giza by 70 years (the pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu – 2550 BCE).

At present, it’s hard to imagine the grandeur it once held. While the Egyptian pyramids are massive in size, the Hellenikon pyramid exhibits sloping sides and encloses a rectangular structure measuring 7.03 x 9.07 meters.

Constructed using local gray limestone blocks arranged in a stepped pattern and partially polygonal, this ancient pyramid was discovered by American archaeologists in 1938, believed to have been built around 300 to 400 BCE.

In 1991, a team led by Dr. I. Lyritzis of the Academy of Athens in Greece suggested that the Hellenikon pyramid dates back to around 3000 BCE.

However, research from the Academy of Athens and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland places the construction date around 2720 BCE.

The Archaeological Research Laboratory at the Dimokritos Research Institute in Athens, Greece, and the Nuclear Physics Laboratory at the University of Edinburgh conducted dating analyses on the Hellenikon pyramid, concluding:

If the construction date is accurate, it would mean that the Greek pyramid predates Egypt’s Djoser pyramid, considered the oldest among all Egyptian pyramids.

This revelation opens up new possibilities for understanding ancient civilizations and their shared architectural heritage across continents.

Note: This piece emphasizes the discovery and the debated timeline of the Hellenikon pyramid in Greece compared to the Egyptian pyramids, showcasing the evolving interpretations and ongoing research efforts in archaeology.