'Sacred' pyramid built by forgotten civilization in Amazon rainforest may be world's tallest ancient structure
A strange peak in the middle of the Amazon rainforest may actually be the largest pyramid ever built in the ancient world.
Known as Cerro El Cono, this massive, pyramid-shaped formation is cloaked in mystery due to both its striking structure and the extreme difficulty of reaching it.
The 1,310-foot-tall, pyramid-shaped hill sits in Peru's Sierra del Divisor National Park, near the Ucayali River in the Amazon.
Unlike other mountains, however, this extremely steep peak has a set of distinct flat surfaces - like the Great Pyramid of Giza - which have been covered by vegetation over the centuries.
Moreover, this one great peak sticks out from the completely flat rainforest around it, adding to the speculation that Cerro El Cono may not be a natural formation.
While scientists believe the giant hill is just a geological oddity, possibly a volcano or natural rock formation, local Indigenous tribes revere Cerro El Cono as a sacred mountain spirit which protects their communities, calling it 'Andean Apu.'
This ancient tradition of worshipping mountain spirits dates back to a time before the Inca Empire, between 500 and 1000 CE, but another theory surrounding Cerro El Cono predates even these ancient myths.
Although the few studies of this area have yet to find evidence to prove it, local legends claim that Cerro El Cono sits on the ruins of an ancient pyramid built by a long forgotten civilization that lived in the Amazon.
According to Peruvian news outlet La República, fringe researchers have picked up on the local folklore of the Indigenous tribes, believing that Cerro El Cono ('Cone Hill' in English) is a man-made structure just like the Great Pyramid at Giza.
If this were proven true, it would make Cerro El Cono (1,310 feet) the tallest ancient structure in history, soaring past Giza's 481 feet.
In fact, this incredibly steep structure would stand more than three times taller than any other ancient pyramid or temple that has been discovered.
Cerro El Cono may one day join the growing list of mysterious ancient structures, some of which predate the Egyptian pyramids.
One of these ancient structures is Gunung Padang, first re-discovered by Dutch explorers in 1890, and said to be the world's oldest pyramid.
Studies show that the 98-foot-deep 'megalith' submerged within a hill of lava rock dates back more than 16,000 years.
In 2023, scientists said the structure promises to upend the conventional wisdom on just how 'primitive' hunter-gather societies actually were - revealing the true 'engineering capabilities of ancient civilizations.'
Another alleged pyramid called the Yonaguni monument sits just 82 feet below sea level near the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
This mysterious object also continues to astonish researchers since its discovery in 1986, with new studies revealing that the rocks are roughly 12,000 years-old.
However, neither of these ancient monuments would match the height of Cerro El Cono if it is actually man-made, with Gunung Padang being just 312 feet tall and the Yonaguni monument measuring only 90 feet in height.
Despite the local legends and mysterious shape of the massive Amazonian peak, scientists maintain that the likeliest answer is that Cerro El Cono may be an extinct volcano that rose up suddenly in the rainforest.
Specifically, it could be a strangely-shaped volcanic cone, volcanic plug, or igneous intrusion which formed millions of years ago.
A volcanic cone is a hill or mountain formed by the accumulation of volcanic materials, such as lava, ash, and debris, ejected from a volcano's vent during eruptions.
A volcanic plug (also called a volcanic neck) is a solid, cylindrical mass of hardened magma that forms inside a volcano's vent or conduit.
After the volcano becomes inactive, surrounding softer volcanic materials like ash erode away, leaving the more resistant plug standing as a distinct hill or peak.
An igneous intrusion is a body of molten magma that pushes into or between existing rock layers beneath the Earth's surface but cools and solidifies before reaching the surface.
When exposed by erosion, intrusions can form hills, ridges, or peaks, depending on their shape and size.
Regardless of how Cerro El Cono came into existence, it is a completely unique formation in the Amazon.
In fact, Cerro El Cono rises so steeply out of the flat rainforest that the peak can be seen clearly from over 250 miles away.
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