Oldest intact buildings on earth?
 

I'm just curious what some of the oldest intact buildings in the world are?

The Great Pyramids of Egypt?

Gozo's Ggantija temple, dated 3600 BC. However, it is arguable if this could really be considered intact:

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-imag...gantija256.jpg

Regarding the pyramids, I imagine there must be structures around even older than those. Would anyone know?

It's difficult because only the grandest structures in the grandest nations were built into stone.

Most other structures for thousands of years were built with earth, and earth structures do not last very long in an archaeological sense, when they have to be subjected to wind, rain, snow, hail, wars, animals, insects, et cetera.

But yeah, there are many intact tombs in Egypt that predate the pyramids. None are quite so monumental, though.

Edited out.

Babylon
 

I believe some of the ancient middle eastern/Babylonian structures in modern day Iraq could be considered some of the oldest. However, since the USA has decided to bomb most of the area, there is little room left for that sort of nonsense. Go George Bush! Yeah! America #1 and all that jazz. (I am being sarcastic...or am I?)

Shalom and Boohiggy LIzard

I would think the ancient city of Petra in Jordan would be one of the oldest sets of structures still existing. Even though they are built into the rock face they are still buildings, some of which date back to the 6th century BC.
http://www.arpnet.it/petra/images/new_petra_small.jpg

there is not much that is cooler, but there is a lot that is way older than petra...petra was roman....most of greece and all of egypt is far older...

some think this underwater pyramid in japan is the oldest man made structure.

http://www.morien-institute.org/yonaguni.html

^If that was real it would completely change our look on past history. Mind you, it is entirely possible that it's fake, or that it's much newer than suspected.

Catal Huyuk, modern day turkey dating back to 7,800-7,500 B.C.E., oldest known collective human settlement with buildings (dilapidated):

http://inanna.virtualave.net/malta-tempel1.jpg

No, no, no... that was built by dolphins, silly!

The progression from stones to structures to buildings was pretty fluid, so I think it's kind of hard to pick something without acknowledging earlier constructions that provided a foundation for its particular form. I wonder if neolithic dolmens can be considered buildings? They're post and lintel like Stonehendge, but arranged to form more like a tunnel. They were basically tombs, like the Great Pyramids. Just something to think about...

This picture is of Ggantija in Malta, not Catal Huyuk.

^^^ That's what came up on the google search, sorry :runaway:
But the reference to the Catal Huyuk settlement being the oldest (not necessarily intact) is still correct...incorrect image notwithstanding :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catal_huyuk

How old is the Sphinx?
 

How old is the Sphinx?
At least 4,500 years - [B]but some say it goes back 9,000 years[/B]
Most archaeologists say the Sphinx is about 4,500 years old. But some claim that vertical weathering patterns on the Sphinx could only have been made thousands of years earlier.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3077390/

By Paige Williams
MSNBC
Feb. 12, 1999 - For years, Egyptologists and archaeologists have thought the Great Sphinx of Giza to be about 4,500 years old, dating to around 2500 B.C. However, some recent studies have suggested that the Sphinx was built as long ago as 7000 B.C.

The relatively new theory is based on what is thought to be “precipitation-induced weathering” on the upper areas of the Sphinx. Archaeologists supporting this view contend that the last time there was sufficient precipitation in the region to cause this pattern of rainfall erosion on limestone was around 9,000 years ago, 7000 B.C.

More traditional Egyptologists reject this view for several reasons. First, a Sphinx built earlier than 7000 B.C. would upset our understanding of ancient civilization, as there is no evidence of an Egyptian civilization this old.

Also, the new theory focuses only on a specific type of erosion and ignores other evidence that would support an age of 4,500 years. Among these: The Sphinx is a rapidly weathering structure, appearing older than it is; subsurface water drainage or Nile flooding could have produced the pattern of erosion; and the Sphinx is believed to resemble Khafre, the pharaoh who built one of the nearby pyramids of Giza. He lived circa 2603-2578 B.C.

It’s exciting to contemplate the existence of an unknown civilization that predates the ancient Egyptians, but most archaeologists and geologists still favor the traditional view that the Sphinx is about 4,500 years old.

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thu...x_in_cairo.jpg

The Sphinx is not a building but a monument or sculpture. Other than early stone dwellings in the middle east the easliest buildings are probably neolothic stone and earthen tombs in western Europe. Although Egypt's are certainly in the running. Anyone wnat to venture a guess at the oldest standing man made structure in North America (north of Mexico)?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/662794.stm

this is in japan. the oldest known pottery comes from japan..

"Before the discovery, the oldest remains of a structure were those at Terra Amata in France, from around 200,000 to 400,000 years ago. "

http://www.mangiapan.net/mgp_00Image...ramata6246.jpg

the way i see it, is that if you look at the buildings of indigineous peoples you will see the way their ancestors built from before the time of history.

:previous: Agree. I think the though that the author of this thread is looking for the oldest standing buildings. The question I pose is a little trickier since I am including all forms of structures.

I need to correct my previous reply. The Sphinx is neither monument or sculpture, even though it contains elements of each. It is a pectroform (sic?) a natural feature modified by man. Some have argued that the "orginal" Sphinz had the head of a lion.

http://www.solsticeproject.org/images/chacoc.jpg

i saw this on PBS and fornd it amazing!

Chaco Canyon and related buildings might be the oldest in the US, AD 900 and 1150

http://arch.ced.berkeley.edu/kap/200.../chacocct2.JPG


"Some believe that a mysterious stone tower in Newport, RI, is the oldest building in America, built by the Vikings around AD 1050. Most academics think that it was built by a Colonial farmer, or by refugees of a Chinese treasure ship, but since no records exist, how do they know? "

http://www.unexplainedearth.com/grap...tower_wide.jpg


[http://www.unexplainedearth.com/newport.php

1010 ce???