This is a list of oldest extant buildings.
A building is defined as any human-made structure used or interface for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy. In order to qualify for this list, a structure must:
This deliberately excludes ruins of limited height and statues. The list also excludes:
Dates for many of the oldest structures have been arrived at by radiocarbon dating and should be considered approximate.
The following are amongst the oldest buildings in the world that have maintained the requirements to be such. Occupation sites with older human made structures such as those in Göbekli Tepe do exist, but the structures are monuments and do not meet the definition of building (which can be seen above). Many of the buildings within the list contain primarily bricks, but most importantly maintain their walls and roof. There are numerous extant structures that survive in the Orkney islands of Scotland, some of the best known of which are part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site. [2] The list also contains many large buildings from the Egyptian Age of the Pyramids.
Building | Image | Country | Continent | First built | Use | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Göbekli Tepe | Turkey | Asia | 9500–7500 BCE | Place of worship | Located in southern Turkey. The tell includes two phases of use, believed to be of a social or ritual nature by site discoverer and excavator Klaus Schmidt, dating back to the 10th–8th millennium BCE. The structure is 300 m in diameter and 15 m high. | |
Tower of Jericho | West Bank, Palestine | Asia | 8000 BC | Tower | A 8.5-metre-tall (28 ft) stone structure, constructed of undressed stones, with an internal staircase of twenty-two steps. | |
Çatalhöyük | Turkey | Asia | 7500–5700 BCE | Settlement | A very large Neolithic and Chalcolithic proto-city settlement in southern Anatolia | |
Mehrgarh | Pakistan | Asia | 7000 BCE | Settlement | A Neolithic archaeological site situated on the Kacchi Plain of Balochistan in Pakistan. It is located near the Bolan Pass, to the west of the Indus River and between the modern-day Pakistani cities of Quetta, Kalat and Sibi. | |
Aquae Calidae | Bulgaria | Europe | 6000-5000 BCE | Ancient town | Located in the Bulgarian port city Burgas on the Black Sea coast. Aquae Calidae was also known as Therma and Thermopolis in the Middle Ages and it was an ancient town in Thrace. | |
Barnenez | France | Europe | 4800 BC | Passage grave | Located in northern Finistère and partially restored. According to André Malraux it would have been better named 'The Prehistoric Parthenon'. The structure is 72 m (236 ft) long, 25 m (82 ft) wide and over 8 m (26 ft) high. [3] [4] | |
Tumulus of Bougon | France | Europe | 4800 BC | Tumulus | A necropolis, complex of tombs with varying dates in Deux-Sèvres near Niort and Poitiers, the oldests being E and F0 . [3] | |
Saint-Michel tumulus | France | Europe | 4500 BC | Tumulus | The tumulus forms what is almost an artificial hillock of more than 30,000 m3 (1,100,000 cu ft) (60 m × 125 m × 10 m (197 ft × 410 ft × 33 ft)). [5] [6] | |
Anu ziggurat of Uruk | Iraq | Asia | 4000–3800 BC | Ziggurat | A massive White Temple was built atop of the ziggurat. Under the northwest edge of the ziggurat a Stone Temple has been discovered. | |
Monte d'Accoddi | Italy (Sardinia) | Europe | 4000–3650 BC [7] [8] | Possibly an open-air temple, or a step pyramid. | A trapezoidal platform on an artificial mound, reached by a sloped causeway. New radiocarbon dating (2011) allow us to date the building of the first monument to 4000–3650 BC, the second shrine dating to 3500–3000 BC." [9] | |
La Hougue Bie | Jersey | Europe | 4000–3500 BC | Passage grave | An 18.6 m (61 ft) long Neolithic passage grave with 12th century (medieval) chapel above [10] and World War II structures. [11] [12] | |
Knap of Howar | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3700 BC | House | Oldest preserved stone house in north west Europe. [13] [14] [15] | |
Ġgantija | Malta | Europe | 3700 BC | Temple | Two structures on the island of Gozo. The second was built four centuries after the oldest. [16] [17] | |
Dolmen of Menga | Spain | Europe | 3700 BC | Tomb | A megalithic burial mound called a tumulus, a long barrow form of dolmen | |
West Kennet Long Barrow | United Kingdom (England) | Europe | 3650 BC | Tomb | Located near Silbury Hill and Avebury stone circle. [18] | |
Listoghil | Ireland | Europe | 3550 BC | Passage Tomb | At the centre of the Carrowmore passage tomb cluster, a simple box-shaped chamber is surrounded by a kerb c.34 m (112 ft) in diameter and partly covered by a cairn. It has been partly reconstructed. [19] | |
Stoney Littleton Long Barrow | United Kingdom (England) | Europe | 3550 BC | Tomb | Neolithic chambered tomb with multiple burial chambers, belonging to the Severn-Cotswold group located near Wellow, Somerset, England. [20] | |
Sechin Bajo | Peru | South America | 3500 BC | Plaza | The oldest known building in the Americas. [21] [22] | |
Dholavira | India | Asia | 3500 BC | Settlement | A complex of ruins with varying dates at Dholavira. [23] [24] [25] It has brick water reservoirs, with steps, circular graves and the ruins of a well planned town. Recent research suggests the beginning of occupation around 3500 BCE (pre-Harappan) and continuity until around 1800 BCE (early part of Late Harappan period). [26] | |
Midhowe Chambered Cairn | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3500 BC | Tomb | A well-preserved chambered cairn of the Orkney-Cromarty type on the island of Rousay. [27] | |
Gavrinis passage tomb | France | Europe | 3500 BC | Tomb | On a small island, situated in the Gulf of Morbihan. [28] | |
Wayland's Smithy | United Kingdom (England) | Europe | 3460 BC | Chamber tomb | A barrow constructed on top of an older burial chamber. [29] | |
Unstan Chambered Cairn | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3450 BC | Tomb | Excavated in 1884, when grave goods were found, giving their name to Unstan ware. [30] [31] [32] | |
Loughcrew | Ireland | Europe | 3400 BC | Tomb | It is the site of megalithic burial grounds dating back to approximately 3500 and 3300 BC | |
Knowe of Yarso chambered cairn | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3350 BC | Tomb | One of several Rousay tombs. It contained numerous deer skeletons when excavated in the 1930s. [30] [33] [34] | |
Quanterness chambered cairn | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3250 BC | Tomb | The remains of 157 individuals were found inside when excavated in the 1970s. [30] [35] [36] | |
Tarxien Temples | Malta | Europe | 3250 BC | Temples | Part of the Megalithic Temples of Malta World Heritage Site. [16] [37] | |
Shahr-e Sukhteh | Iran | Asia | 3200 BC | Settlement | A rich source of information regarding the emergence of complex societies and contacts between them in the third millennium [38] | |
Newgrange | Ireland | Europe | 3200 BC [39] | Burial | Partially reconstructed around original passage grave. [40] | |
Knowth | Ireland | Europe | c. 3200 BC | Passage grave | A Neolithic passage grave and an ancient monument of the World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne | |
Dowth | Ireland | Europe | between 3200 and 2900 BC | Tomb | The cairn is about 85 metres (280 ft) in diameter and 15 metres (50 ft) high. | |
Skara Brae | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3180 BC | Settlement | Northern Europe's best preserved Neolithic village. [41] [42] | |
Tomb of the Eagles | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3150 BC | Tomb | In use for 800 years or more. Numerous bird bones were found here, predominantly white-tailed sea eagle. [43] [44] | |
Tepe Sialk ziggurat | Iran | Asia | 3000 BC | Ziggurat | The oldest settlements in Sialk to date to around 6000–5500 BC. [45] [46] The Sialk ziggurat was built around 3000 BC. | |
Dolmen de Bagneux | France | Europe | 3000 BC | Dolmen | This is the largest dolmen in France, and perhaps the world; the overall length of the dolmen is 23 m (75 ft), with the internal chamber at over 18 m (59 ft) in length and at least 3 m (9.8 ft) high. [47] [48] [49] | |
Grey Cairns of Camster | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3000 BC or older | Tomb | Located near Upper Camster in Caithness. [50] [51] | |
Hulbjerg Jættestue | Denmark | Europe | 3000 BC | Passage grave | The grave is concealed by a round barrow on the southern tip of the island of Langeland. One of the skulls found there showed traces of the world's earliest dentistry work. [52] [53] [54] | |
Dolmens of North Caucasus | Russia | Europe | 3000 BC | Tomb | There are numerous tombs, some perhaps originating in the Maikop culture, in the North Caucasus. [55] [56] | |
Taversoe Tuick chambered cairn | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3000 BC | Tomb | Unusually, there is an upper and lower chamber. [57] | |
Holm of Papa chambered cairn | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3000 BC | Tomb | The central chamber is over 20 m (66 ft) long. [58] [59] | |
Barpa Langass | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3000 BC | Tomb | The best preserved chambered cairn in the Hebrides. [60] [61] | |
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3000 BC | Tomb | Excavated in 1901, when it was found to contain the bones of men, dogs and oxen. [62] [63] | |
Quoyness cairn | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 2900 BC | Tomb | An arc of Bronze Age mounds surrounds this cairn on the island of Sanday. [64] | |
Maeshowe | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 2800 BC | Tomb | The entrance passage is 36 feet (11 m) long and leads to the central chamber measuring about 15 feet (4.6 m) on each side. [65] [66] | |
Shunet El Zebib | Egypt | Africa | 2700 BC | Mortuary temple | Built as a funerary enclosure, a place where the deceased king was worshipped and memorialised. | |
Pyramid of Djoser | Egypt | Africa | 2667–2648 BC | Burial | Earliest large-scale cut stone construction. [67] | |
Harappa | Pakistan | Asia | 2600 BC | Settlement | A Bronze Age fortified city with clay sculptured houses located west of Sahiwal. [68] The Indus Valley civilization had a possible writing system, urban centers, and diversified social and economic system. | |
Mohenjo Daro | Pakistan | Asia | 2600 BC | Settlement | An archeological site near Larkana. [69] The world's earliest settlement with one and two storied brick houses, public baths, assembly halls, central marketplace and covered drains. | |
Caral | Peru | South America | 2600 BC | Pyramid | Once thought to be the oldest building in South America. [70] | |
Pyramid of Meidum | Egypt | Africa | c. 2580 BC | Tomb | Fourth Dynasty structure completed by Sneferu. | |
Bent Pyramid | Egypt | Africa | c. 2580 BC | Tomb | A second structure completed by Sneferu. | |
Red Pyramid | Egypt | Africa | c. 2580 BC | Tomb | Third large pyramid completed by Sneferu. [71] | |
Great Pyramid of Giza | Egypt | Africa | 2560 BC | Tomb | Mausoleum for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu.[ citation needed ] World's tallest man-made structure for over 3800 years, until Lincoln Cathedral in 1311. | |
Megalithic Monuments of Alcalar | Portugal | Europe | Between 3000 and 2000 BC | Tomb | A group of burial tombs that comprise a Calcolithic necropolis. | |
Capel Garmon | United Kingdom (Wales) | Europe | c. 2500 BC | Tomb | Burial chamber dating from the 3rd millennium BC that belongs to the Severn-Cotswold Group. [72] | |
Pyramid of Khafre | Egypt | Africa | c. 2500 BC | Tomb | One of the Pyramids of Giza. [73] | |
Pyramid of Menkaure | Egypt | Africa | c. 2500 BC | Tomb | Menkaure was probably Khafre's successor. | |
Pyramid of Userkaf | Egypt | Africa | c. 2480 BC | Tomb | Located close to Pyramid of Djoser. [74] | |
Pyramid of Sahure | Egypt | Africa | c. 2480 BC | Tomb | Built for Sahure. [75] | |
Pyramid of Neferirkare Kakai | Egypt | Africa | c. 2460 BC | Tomb | Built for Neferirkare Kakai. [75] | |
Pyramid of Neferefre | Egypt | Africa | c. 2455 BC | Tomb | Never completed but does contain a tomb. [75] | |
Pyramid of Nyuserre | Egypt | Africa | c. 2425 BC | Tomb | [76] | |
Royal Palace of Ebla | Syria | Asia | 2400–2300 BC | Palace | ||
Pyramid of Djedkare-Isesi | Egypt | Africa | c. 2370 BC | Tomb | ||
Pyramid of Unas | Egypt | Africa | c. 2340 BC | Tomb | [77] | |
Pyramid of Teti | Egypt | Africa | c. 2330 BC | Tomb | ||
Labbacallee | Ireland | Europe | c. 2300 BC | Tomb | The largest wedge tomb in Ireland. [78] | |
Shimao | China (Shaanxi) | Asia | 2300–2000 BC | Settlement | Fortified Neolithic site, centered on a large stepped pyramid with a height of 70m. [79] | |
Pyramid of Merenre | Egypt | Africa | c. 2275 BC | Tomb | Built for Merenre Nemtyemsaf I but not completed. | |
Pyramid of Pepi II | Egypt | Africa | c. 2180 BC | Tomb | ||
Crantit cairn | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 2130 BC | Tomb | Discovered in 1998 near Kirkwall. [80] [81] | |
Ziggurat of Ur | Iraq | Asia | 2100 BC | Temple | The Great Ziggurat of Ur was a temple built under King Ur-Nammu in honor of the goddess Nanna. It was partially reconstructed in the 1980s under Saddam Hussein. | |
Dolmen de Viera | Spain | Europe | 2000 BC | Tomb | The Dolmen de Viera or Dolmen de los Hermanos Viera is a dolmen—a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb [82] | |
Dolmen of Cava dei Servi | Italy (Sicily) | Europe | 2000 BC | Tomb | The dolmen of Cava dei Servi is a semi-oval monument formed by four rectangular slabs fixed into the ground. Three slabs are on top, leaning in such a way they reduce the surface and form a false dome. [83] | |
Rubha an Dùnain passage grave | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 2000 BC or older | Tomb | [84] [85] [86] | |
Corrimony chambered cairn | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 2000 BC or older | Tomb | A Clava-type passage grave surrounded by a circle of 11 standing stones. [87] [88] | |
Bryn Celli Ddu | United Kingdom (Wales) | Europe | 2000 BC | Tomb | Located on the island of Anglesey. [89] | |
Balnuaran of Clava | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 2000 BC | Tomb | The largest of three is the north-east cairn, which was partially reconstructed in the 19th century. The central cairn may have been used as a funeral pyre. [86] [90] [91] | |
Vinquoy chambered cairn, Eday | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 2000 BC | Tomb | [92] | |
Pyramid of Amenemhat I | Egypt | Africa | c. 1960 BC | Tomb | ||
Karnak | Egypt | Africa | 1971–1926 BC | Temple | Actually a temple complex. | |
Pyramid of Senusret I | Egypt | Africa | c. 1920 BC | Tomb | ||
Pyramid of Senusret II | Egypt | Africa | c. 1875 BC | Tomb | ||
Knossos | Greece | Europe | 1850–1750 BC | Palace | Minoan structure on a Neolithic site. [93] | |
Pyramid of Senusret III | Egypt | Africa | c. 1835 BC | Tomb | Built for Senusret III. | |
Black Pyramid | Egypt | Africa | c. 1820 BC | Tomb | Built for Amenemhat III, it has multiple structural deficits. | |
Hawara | Egypt | Africa | c. 1810 BC | Tomb | Also built for Amenemhat III. | |
Pyramid of Khendjer | Egypt | Africa | c. 1760 BC | Tomb | Built for pharaoh Khendjer. | |
Daorson | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Europe | 17–16th century BC | City and citadel | Illyrian settlement and capital of Daorsi tribe. | |
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut | Egypt | Africa | 15th century BC | Temple | ||
Nuraghe Santu Antine | Italy (Sardinia) | Europe | 1600 BC | Possibly a fort | The second tallest of these megalithic edifices found in Sardinia and tallest still standing. [94] | |
Sinauli | India | Asia | 1800 BC | Settlement | The Sinauli excavation site is located in Sinauli, western Uttar Pradesh, India, at the Ganga-Yamuna Doab. [95] [96] Major findings from 2018 trial excavations are dated to c. 2000 - 1800 BCE, and ascribed to the Ochre Coloured Pottery culture (OCP)/Copper Hoard Culture. The rituals relating to the Sanauli burials shows close affinity with Vedic rituals. [97] | |
Adichanallur | India | Asia | 1500 BC | Settlement | In 2004, a number of skeletons were found buried in earthenware urns. Some of these urns contained writing in Tamil Brahmi script. While some of the burial urns contained skeletons. [98] In 2018, research on skeletons remains were dated at Manipur University to around 1500 BC. [99] | |
Su Nuraxi di Barumini | Italy (Sardinia) | Europe | 1500 BC | Possibly a fort or a palace | The palace of Barumini is formed by a huge quatrefoiled nuraghe, whose central tower is its oldest construction. Originally it was almost 20 m (66 ft) high and divided into three floors. [100] [101] | |
Luxor Temple | Egypt | Africa | c.1400 BC | Temple | Actually a temple complex. | |
Nuraghe La Prisciona | Italy (Sardinia) | Europe | 1400 BC | Possibly a fort | The monument has a central tower and 2 side towers, the former with an entrance defined by a massive lintel of 3.20 m (10.5 ft). The central chamber has a false dome, which is more than 6 m (20 ft) high. [102] | |
The King's Grave | Sweden | Europe | 1400 BC | Tomb | Near Kivik is the remains of an unusually grand Nordic Bronze Age double burial. [103] | |
The Ziggurat of Dur-Kurigalzu | Iraq | Asia | 14th century BC | Probably religious rituals | Built for the Kassite King Kurigalzu I. [104] | |
Treasury of Atreus | Greece | Europe | 1250 BC | Tomb | The tallest and widest dome in the world for over a thousand years. [105] | |
Chogha Zanbil | Iran | Asia | 1250 BC | Temple | One of the few extant ziggurats outside of Mesopotamia. [106] | |
Mortuary Temple of Seti I | Egypt | Africa | 13th century BC | Temple | ||
Ramesseum | Egypt | Africa | 13th century BC | Temple | Mortuary temple of Ramses II. | |
Naveta d'Es Tudons | Spain | Europe | 1200–750 BC | Ossuary | The most famous megalithic chamber tomb in Menorca. [107] | |
Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III | Egypt | Africa | 1186–1155 BC | Temple | ||
Dún Aonghasa | Ireland | Europe | 1100 BC | Fort | Dún Aonghasa, also called Dun Aengus, has been described as one of the most spectacular prehistoric monuments in western Europe. The drystone walled hillfort is made up of 4 widely spaced concentric ramparts. [108] [109] | |
Cuicuilco Circular Pyramid | Mexico | North America | 800–600 BC | Ceremonial center | One of the oldest standing structures of the Mesoamerican cultures. First steps in the creation of a sun based calendar. [110] | |
Van Fortress | Turkey | Asia | 750 BC | Fortress | Massive Urartean stone fortification overlooking Tushpa. | |
Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia | Italy | Europe | 700 BC | Tombs | These Etruscan necropolises contain thousands of tombs, some organized in a city-like plan. [111] | |
Temple of Cyrene | Libya | Africa | c. 630 BC | Temple | The temple was destroyed and rebuilt around 115 AD and was damaged in the 4th century AD. | |
Keezhadi excavation site | India | Asia | 580 BC | Settlement | Keezhadi (also as Keeladi) excavation site is a Sangam period settlement that is being excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India and the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department. | |
Temple of Hera | Italy | Europe | 550 BC | Temple | Part of a complex of three great temples in Doric style. [112] | |
Tomb of Cyrus | Iran | Asia | 530 BC | Tomb | Tomb of Cyrus the Great, located in Pasargadae | |
Persepolis | Iran | Asia | 522 BC | Ceremonial capital | Ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire | |
Yeha Temple | Ethiopia | Africa | 500 BC | Temple | Temple of the sun and moon. | |
Parthenon | Greece | Europe | 432–447 BC | Temple | In the Acropolis of Athens | |
Tomb of Seuthes III | Bulgaria | Europe | 450–400 BC | Tomb | The tomb was originally a monumental temple at Golyama Kosmatka Mound, built in the second half of the 5th century BC. After extended use as a temple, at the later part of the 3rd century BC the Thracian king Seuthes III was buried inside. | |
Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak | Bulgaria | Europe | 300–400 BC | Tomb | Located near Seutopolis, the capital city of the Thracian king Seuthes III, and part of a large necropolis. [113] It is one of the most elaborate tombs in the Valley of the Thracian Rulers where the first use of brickwork in Europe was established. | |
Sanchi Stupa | India | Asia | 300 BC | Buddhist temple | In the village of Sanchi | |
Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari | Bulgaria | Europe | 300–280 BC | Tomb | Discovered in 1982 in a mound, this 3rd century BC Getic tomb reflects the fundamental structural principles of Thracian cult buildings. The tomb's architectural decor is considered to be unique, with polychrome half-human, half-plant caryatids and painted murals. | |
Dhamek Stupa | India | Asia | 249 BC rebuilt c. 500 AD | Buddhist Temple | In Sarnath, Varanasi | |
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor | China | Asia | Began construction 246 BC, finished 208 BC | Tomb | Commonly known as the Terracotta Army, this is one of the largest tombs ever built. It does not only contain the entire stone army, but a complex of halls and of the resting place of Qin Shi Huang. | |
Ruwanwelisaya | Sri Lanka | Asia | 140 BC | Stupa | In Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka | |
Broch of Mousa | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 100 BC | Broch | Located in Shetland it is among the best-preserved prehistoric buildings in Europe. [114] [115] | |
Dun Carloway | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 100 BC | Broch | Built in the first century BC [116] | |
Masada | Israel | Asia | 37 BC | Fortress | Herod the Great built two palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. | |
Maison Carrée | France | Europe | 4–7 AD | Temple | one of the best preserved Roman temples, in Nîmes | |
Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum | China (Hong Kong) | Asia | 25 AD | Tomb | ||
Temple of Garni | Armenia | Asia | c. 77 AD | Temple | ||
Colosseum | Italy | Europe | 70–80 AD | Amphitheatre |
The following are amongst the oldest known extant buildings on each of the major continents.
Building | Image | Country | Continent | First built | Use | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Göbekli Tepe | Turkey | Asia | 9500 – 7500 BC | Unknown, likely temple | Located in southern Turkey. The tell includes two phases of use, believed to be of a social or ritual nature by site discoverer and excavator Klaus Schmidt, dating back to the 10th–8th millennium BCE. The structure is 300 m in diameter and 15 m high. | |
Durankulak (archaeological site) | Bulgaria | Europe | 5500—4100 BC | Settlement | The Durankulak Archaeological Complex unites three sites: Tell Golemija ostrov - the Big Island, Durankulak - the necropolis and Durankulak - the fields. On the Tell Golemija ostrov (Big Island) there are settlements from the Early Eneolithic - Hamandjia III-IV culture, the Late Eneolithic - Varna culture, ritual pits and sacrificial pylons from the Proto-Bronze and Bronze Ages - Chernavoda I and III cultures, fortified Late Bronze Age settlement - Koslogeni culture (Sabatinovka-Noua-Coslogeni "cultural complex"), ancient buildings with a cave temple of the goddess Cybele and an early medieval proto-Bulgarian settlement with several rotundas, which existed from the 9th to the beginning of the 11th century AD. The total thickness of the cultural strata is 3.20 - 3.50 m. The settlement mound has seven stratigraphic horizons. | |
Solnitsata | Bulgaria | Europe | 5500 BC [117] | Settlement | Believed to be the oldest town in Europe, Solnitsata was the site of a prehistoric fortified (walled) stone settlement (prehistoric city) and salt production facility approximately from the 6th – 5th millennia BC; [118] it flourished ca 4700–4200 BC. [119] [120] [121] A large collection of the oldest gold objects in the world was found nearby, in the Varna Necropolis [118] | |
Shunet El Zebib | Egypt | Africa | 2700 BC | Mortuary temple | Built as a funerary enclosure, a place where the deceased king was worshipped and memorialised. | |
Los Naranjos | Honduras | North America | 2000 BC | Temples | Oldest extant buildings in Honduras, constructed by ancestors of the Lenca people. [122] | |
Nan Madol | Federated States of Micronesia | Oceania | 700s AD | City | City constructed by the Pohnpeians in the 700s AD on human-made islands (also created by the Pohnpeians). Nan Madol contains the oldest known extant buildings in Oceania. | |
Cape Adare huts | Ross Dependency | Antarctica | 1899 AD | Explorers' huts | Wooden buildings constructed by Carsten Borchgrevink in Victoria Land. [123] | |
The following are among the oldest buildings in their respective countries.
Building | Image | Country | Continent | First Built | Use | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Göbeklitepe | Turkey | Asia | 9500-7500 BC | Unknown/likely temple | Oldest temple and oldest structure in the world. | |
Durankulak | Bulgaria | Europe | 5500—4100 BC | Settlement | The Durankulak Archaeological Complex unites three sites: Tell Golemija ostrov - the Big Island, Durankulak - the necropolis and Durankulak - the fields. On the Tell Golemija ostrov (Big Island) there are settlements from the Early Eneolithic - Hamandjia III-IV culture, the Late Eneolithic - Varna culture, ritual pits and sacrificial pylons from the Proto-Bronze and Bronze Ages - Chernavoda I and III cultures, fortified Late Bronze Age settlement - Koslogeni culture (Sabatinovka-Noua-Coslogeni "cultural complex"), ancient buildings with a cave temple of the goddess Cybele and an early medieval proto-Bulgarian settlement with several rotundas, which existed from the 9th to the beginning of the 11th century AD. The total thickness of the cultural strata is 3.20 - 3.50 m. The settlement mound has seven stratigraphic horizons. | |
Solnitsata | Bulgaria | Europe | 5500 BC [117] | Settlement | Believed to be the oldest town in Europe, Solnitsata was the site of a prehistoric fortified stone settlement and salt production facility approximately six millennia ago; [118] it flourished ca 4700–4200 BC. [119] The settlement was walled to protect the salt, a crucial commodity in antiquity. [120] Although its population has been estimated at only 350, [120] archaeologist Vassil Nikolov argues that it meets established criteria as a prehistoric city. [124] A large collection of the oldest gold objects in the world find nearby, on the site of the Varna Necropolis, has led archaeologists to speculate that this trade resulted in considerable wealth for the town's residents. [118] | |
L'Anse aux Meadows | Canada | North America | c. 1000 AD | Settlement | Located on the northernmost tip of the island of Newfoundland, the Norse settlement is widely accepted as evidence of pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact. | |
Shimao | China | Asia | 2300–2000 BC | Settlement | Fortified Neolithic site, centered on a large stepped pyramid with a height of 70m. [79] | |
St. George's Basilica, Prague | Czech Republic | Europe | c. 920 AD | Church | Located within Prague Castle in the Czech Republic capital Prague. The building now houses the 19th century Bohemian Art Collection of National Gallery in Prague. | |
Hulbjerg Jættestue | Denmark | Europe | 3000 BC | Passage grave | The Hulbjerg passage grave is concealed by a round barrow on the southern tip of the island of Langeland. One of the skulls found there showed traces of the world's earliest dentistry work. [52] | |
West Kennet Long Barrow | United Kingdom (England) | Europe | 3650 BC | Tomb | Located near Silbury Hill and Avebury stone circle. [18] | |
Yeha Temple | Ethiopia | Africa | 500 BC | Temple | Oldest standing structure in Ethiopia | |
Barnenez | France | Europe | 4850 BC | Passage grave | Located in northern Finistère and partially restored. The structure is 72 m long, 25 m wide and over 8 m high. [3] [4] The oldest known building in Eurasia. | |
Porta Nigra | Germany | Europe | 180 AD | Roman city gate | It is today the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps. [125] | |
Knossos | Greece | Europe | 2000–1300 BC | Palace | Minoan structure on a Neolithic site. [93] | |
Dholavira | India | Asia | 3500 BC | Reservoir | A planned urban settlement comprising reservoirs, pottery artifacts, seals, ornaments, vessels, etc. | |
Chogha Zanbil | Iran | Asia | 1250 BC | Temple | One of the few extant ziggurats outside of Mesopotamia. [106] | |
The Ziggurat of Dur-Kurigalzu | Iraq | Asia | 14th century BC | Probably religious rituals | Built by the Kassite King Kurigalzu I. [104] | |
Newgrange | Ireland | Europe | 3200–2900 BC | Burial | Partially reconstructed around original passage grave. [40] | |
Monte d'Accoddi | Italy (Sardinia) | Europe | 4000–3600 BC | Possibly an open-air temple, a ziggurat, or a step pyramid, mastaba. | "A trapezoidal platform on an artificial mound, reached by a sloped causeway." [9] | |
Ġgantija | Malta | Europe | 3700 BC | Temple | Two structures on the island of Gozo. The second was built four centuries after the oldest. [16] [17] | |
Cuicuilco Circular Pyramid | Mexico | North America | 800–600 BC | Ceremonial center | One of the oldest standing structures of the Mesoamerican cultures. [110] | |
Hunebed (Dolmen) | Netherlands | Europe | 4000–3000 BC | Burial | Common theory states Hunebedden of dolmen are prehistoric burial chambers. | |
Mission House | New Zealand | 1822 AD | Religious | Built by Māori and missionary carpenters. [126] | ||
Mehrgarh | Pakistan | Asia | c. 2600 BC | Mud brick storage structures | A complex of ruins with varying dates near Bolan Pass. [127] [128] | |
Sechin Bajo | Peru | South America | 3500 BC | Plaza | The oldest known building in the Americas. [21] | |
Dolmens of North Caucasus | Russia | Europe | 3000 BC | Tomb | There are numerous tombs, some perhaps originating in the Maikop culture, in the North Caucasus. [55] [56] | |
Knap of Howar | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Europe | 3700 BC | House | Oldest preserved stone house in north west Europe. [13] [14] [15] | |
Naveta d'Es Tudons | Spain | Europe | 1200–750 BC | Ossuary | The most famous megalithic chamber tomb in Menorca. [107] | |
The King's Grave | Sweden | Europe | 1000 BC | Tomb | Near Kivik is the remains of an unusually grand Nordic Bronze Age double burial. [129] | |
Hattusa | Turkey | Asia | c. 1600 BC | Ramparts and ruined buildings | Capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age located near modern Boğazkale. [130] | |
Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv | Ukraine | Europe | 1037 AD | Cathedral | Orthodox cathedral, partially rebuilt | |
Ancestral Puebloan communities | United States | North America | 750 AD | Villages | Pueblo construction began in 750 AD and continues to the present day. These buildings have been within the United States since 1848. | |
Bryn Celli Ddu | United Kingdom (Wales) | Europe | 2000 BC | Tomb | Located on the island of Anglesey. [89] | |
Great Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | Africa | 1000 AD | Palace | Capital of the medieval kingdom | |
The following are probably the oldest buildings of their type.
Building | Image | Location | First built | Use | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Göbekli Tepe | Turkey | 9500–7500 BC | Unknown, likely temple | Located in southern Turkey. The tell includes two phases of use, believed to be of a social or ritual nature by site discoverer and excavator Klaus Schmidt, dating back to the 10th–8th millennium BCE. The structure is 300 m in diameter and 15 m high. | |
Mehrgarh | Pakistan | 7000 BC | Settlement | A Neolithic archaeological site situated on the Kacchi Plain of Balochistan in Pakistan. It is located near the Bolan Pass, to the west of the Indus River and between the modern-day Pakistani cities of Quetta, Kalat and Sibi. | |
Durankulak (archaeological site) | Bulgarian | 4800–4100 BC | Settlement | Durankulak is located in Bulgaria, on the west coast of the Black Sea, Dbruja district. The earliest stone architecture in continental Europe was discovered here. | |
Pyramid of Djoser | Saqqara, Egypt | 2667–2648 BC | Tomb | Oldest large-scale cut stone construction [67] | |
Luxor Temple | Luxor, Egypt | 1400 BC | Religious | The oldest standing building partly in use. There is an active mosque within the main structure, visible in the picture, that stands on the ancient pillars of the Egyptian temple. | |
Sanchi Stupa | India | 300 BC | Buddhist temple | Oldest extant Buddhist temple. | |
Temple of Concordia | Italy | 440 BC | Temple | Oldest fully preserved temple from Antiquity. | |
Mundeshwari Temple | Bihar, India | 105–320 AD | Hindu Temple | May be the oldest extant (not rebuilt) Hindu temple in the world [131] [132] An information plaque at the site indicates the dating of the temple at least to 625 CE and Hindu inscriptions dated 635 CE were found in the temple. [133] | |
Pantheon, Rome | Italy | 125 AD | Religious | Oldest standing building still in regular use. [134] | |
Aula Palatina | Germany | 306 AD | Palace basilica | Contains the largest extant hall from antiquity. [125] | |
Jokhang | Lhasa, Tibet, China | c. 639 AD | Buddhist temple | Perhaps the world's oldest timber-frame building. [135] | |
Hōryū-ji | Nara, Japan | 670 AD | Buddhist Temple | Oldest wooden building still standing. [136] | |
Nanchan Temple | Wutai, China | 782 AD | Buddhist Temple | Its Great Buddha Hall is currently China's oldest extant timber building. | |
Greensted Church | United Kingdom (England) | c. 1053 AD | Church | May be the oldest, extant wooden church in the world and the oldest, extant wooden building in Europe. [137] [138] | |
Roykstovan in Kirkjubø | Faroe Islands | No clear date, middle of 11th century AD | Farmhouse | May be the oldest continuously inhabited wooden building in the world [139] | |
Ditherington Flax Mill | United Kingdom (England, Shrewsbury ) | 1797 AD | Industrial | The oldest iron framed building in the world. [140] | |
Manhattan Building | Chicago, United States | 1888 AD | Skyscraper | Oldest skyscraper still standing. | |
Lists
Sites
A chambered cairn is a burial monument, usually constructed during the Neolithic, consisting of a sizeable chamber around and over which a cairn of stones was constructed. Some chambered cairns are also passage-graves. They are found throughout Britain and Ireland, with the largest number in Scotland.
Maeshowe is a Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave situated on Mainland Orkney, Scotland. It was probably built around 2800 BC. In the archaeology of Scotland, it gives its name to the Maeshowe type of chambered cairn, which is limited to Orkney.
The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic henge and stone circle about 6 miles north-east of Stromness on Mainland, the largest island in Orkney, Scotland. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney.
Sanday is one of the inhabited islands of Orkney that lies off the north coast of mainland Scotland. With an area of 50.43 km2 (19.5 sq mi), it is the third largest of the Orkney Islands. The main centres of population are Lady Village and Kettletoft. Sanday can be reached by Orkney Ferries or by plane from Kirkwall on the Orkney Mainland. On Sanday, an on-demand public minibus service allows connecting to the ferry.
Eday is one of the islands of Orkney, which are located to the north of the Scottish mainland. One of the North Isles, Eday is about 24 kilometres from the Orkney Mainland. With an area of 27 km2 (10 sq mi), it is the ninth-largest island of the archipelago. The bedrock of the island is Old Red Sandstone, which is exposed along the sea-cliffs.
Westray is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, with a usual resident population of just under 600 people. Its main village is Pierowall, with a heritage centre, the 15th-century Lady Kirk church and pedestrian ferry service to nearby Papa Westray island. Westray has a number of archeological sites dating from 3500 BC, and remains of several Norse-Viking settlements. The spectacular sea cliffs around Noup Head are home to thousands of seabirds.
The Knap of Howar on the island of Papa Westray in Orkney, Scotland is a Neolithic farmstead which may be the oldest preserved stone house in northern Europe. Radiocarbon dating shows that it was occupied from 3700 BC to 2800 BC, earlier than the similar houses in the settlement at Skara Brae on the Orkney Mainland.
The Standing Stones of Stenness is a Neolithic monument five miles northeast of Stromness on the mainland of Orkney, Scotland. This may be the oldest henge site in the British Isles. Various traditions associated with the stones survived into the modern era and they form part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site. They are looked after by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.
The Dwarfie Stane is a megalithic chambered tomb carved out of a titanic block of Devonian Old Red Sandstone located in a steep-sided glaciated valley between the settlements of Quoys and Rackwick on Hoy, an island in Orkney, Scotland. The stone is a glacial erratic located in desolate peatland. The site is managed by Historic Environment Scotland.
Heart of Neolithic Orkney is a group of Neolithic monuments on the Mainland of the Orkney Islands, Scotland. The name was adopted by UNESCO when it proclaimed these sites as a World Heritage Site in December 1999.
This timeline of prehistoric Scotland is a chronologically ordered list of important archaeological sites in Scotland and of major events affecting Scotland's human inhabitants and culture during the prehistoric period. The period of prehistory prior to occupation by the genus Homo is part of the geology of Scotland. Prehistory in Scotland ends with the arrival of the Romans in southern Scotland in the 1st century AD and the beginning of written records. The archaeological sites and events listed are the earliest examples or among the most notable of their type.
Prehistoric Orkney refers only to the prehistory of the Orkney archipelago of Scotland that begins with human occupation. Although some records referring to Orkney survive that were written during the Roman invasions of Scotland, “prehistory” in northern Scotland is defined as lasting until the start of Scotland's Early Historic Period.
Unstan is a Neolithic chambered cairn located about 2 mi (3 km) north-east of Stromness on Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. The tomb was built on a promontory that extends into the Loch of Stenness near the settlement of Howe. Unstan is notable as an atypical hybrid of the two main types of chambered cairn found in Orkney, and as the location of the first discovery of a type of pottery that now bears the name of the tomb. The site is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.
The Ness of Brodgar is an archaeological site covering 2.5 hectares between the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site on the main Island of Orkney, Scotland. Excavations at the site began in 2003. The site has provided evidence of decorated stone slabs, a stone wall 6 metres (20 ft) thick with foundations, and a large building described as a Neolithic temple. The earliest structures were built between 3,300 and 3,200 BC, and the site had been closed down and partly dismantled by 2,200 BC. It was the main subject of a 2016 BBC Scotland documentary, Britain’s Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney, presented by Neil Oliver, Chris Packham, Shini Somara, Andy Torbet, and Doug Allan. For preservation, the site is closed during the winter months and covered in polyethylene plastic and tyres to protect it from the environment.
Blackhammer Chambered Cairn is a Neolithic chambered cairn located on the island of Rousay, in Orkney, Scotland. The tomb, constructed around 3000 BC, is a Orkney–Cromarty chambered cairn, characterized by stalled burial compartments. Historic Environment Scotland established the site as a scheduled monument in 1994.
Prehistoric art in Scotland is visual art created or found within the modern borders of Scotland, before the departure of the Romans from southern and central Britain in the early fifth century CE, which is usually seen as the beginning of the early historic or Medieval era. There is no clear definition of prehistoric art among scholars and objects that may involve creativity often lack a context that would allow them to be understood.
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is a Neolithic chambered cairn on Mainland, the main island of Orkney, Scotland, about 6 miles west of Kirkwall. It dates to around 3,000 BCE, and is similar in design to Maeshowe, but on a smaller scale. It was constructed by Neolithic farmers as a burial place.
Hoy and West Mainland is a national scenic area (NSA) covering parts of the islands of Hoy and Mainland in the Orkney Islands of Scotland, as well as parts of the surrounding sea. It is one of 40 such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection by restricting certain forms of development. The Hoy and West Mainland NSA covers 24,407 ha in total, consisting of 16,479 ha of land with a further 7928 ha being marine.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)