Gympie Pyramid facts for kids
Grinding grooves on Rocky Ridge.
|
|
| Location | 63 Gympie Connection Rd, Victory Heights QLD 4570, Australia |
|---|---|
| Region | Gympie Region |
| Coordinates | 26°10′08″S 152°41′35″E / 26.1690°S 152.6930°E |
| Type | Hill |
| Height | 30m AGL |
The Gympie Pyramid is a popular nickname for a special place also known as Rocky Ridge. The Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi people call it Djaki Kundu. It's a rounded hill made of sandstone located about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north-east of Gympie in Queensland, Australia.
This site has some old low terraces that were built by early settlers. Many people have made up stories about this place. They claimed it was built by aliens, ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Mayans, or even the Chinese. But experts have shown these ideas are not true. There is also a discussion about how important this site is to Aboriginal people.
Contents
The History of Rocky Ridge
The oldest signs of people using this place are large grinding grooves in rocks at the top of the ridge. This means people used the site long before the first English settlers arrived. You can also find several scar trees here. These trees have marks where bark was taken for tools or canoes.
A Sacred Place for Kabi Kabi People
A group of Kabi Kabi people say this area was a very old sacred site. They believe it was important for their Dreaming stories. It is linked to a story about the Seven Sisters, also known as the Pleiades star cluster. However, some other local Aboriginal people do not agree with this claim.
Early Settlers and a Vineyard
In the late 1800s, geologists explored Rocky Ridge. They described it as a hill with pebbles, but they never mentioned a pyramid shape. A Swiss miner named John William Cauper owned the land from 1875 to 1890. He was interested in growing plants.
The stone walls on the ridge are thought to be the remains of a terraced vineyard built by Cauper. He even wrote articles about growing grapes. In 1905, a local newspaper called the Gympie Times described the area as "the old vineyard".
Dispute Over the Sacred Site
The Queensland Government started building a new highway near Gympie in 2020. This new road is part of the Bruce Highway upgrade.
However, a group of local Kabi Kabi people said that Djaki Kundu is a very important sacred site. They explained it was used for their gatherings and ceremonies for a long time. They also said it connects to their songlines about the Seven Sisters, a water spirit, and four fish.
Work on the highway was stopped for a short time while an expert looked into the claims. But the area was later decided not to be important enough to stop the highway construction. When work started again, some protesters tried to block the site.
Unusual Ideas About the Gympie Pyramid
Over the years, many people have come up with strange ideas about the Gympie Pyramid. These ideas are called "alternative theories."
Claims of Ancient Visitors
- Egyptians: In 1975, a person named Rex Gilroy claimed he found the Gympie Pyramid. He believed it was built by ancient Egyptians who mined in Australia long ago. He thought the terraced hill was a pyramid because of an unusual stone wall, local legends, and a type of cactus from South America growing nearby. He also mentioned a statue called the "Iron Man" or "Gympie Ape" and some strange writings on a stone.
- Incas: Another person, Marilyn N. Pye, thought the "pyramid" showed that the Incas from South America had settled in Australia.
- Chinese: Gavin Menzies suggested it was proof of Chinese visits to Australia. He believed its size and shape were like observation platforms used by the Ming Dynasty.
Why These Ideas Are Not True
Most experts, like Anthony G. Wheeler, say these claims are not true. They explain that the Gympie "pyramid" is just a hill that was terraced by early Italian immigrants for growing grapes. The pyramid shape is due to natural erosion, and stones from the walls were moved for other uses. Wheeler says that many of the statements supporting these theories were either misunderstood or made up.
A cultural heritage survey in 2008 also looked into the hill's history. The report concluded there was "no evidence" that the terraces were part of a "pyramid" built by ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, aliens, Mayans, or Chinese visitors.
Other Strange Finds
- The "Gympie Ape": This is a carved stone statue found in 1966. Rex Gilroy claimed it was a 3000-year-old statue of the Egyptian god Thoth. It is now at the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum. Experts think it was probably carved by Chinese gold miners.
- The "Sun Stone": This is a rough obelisk (a tall, thin stone pillar) found near Gympie. It has a sun symbol and two snakes carved on it. Some people claimed it was very old and not made by Aboriginal people. However, no official examination has confirmed this. An archaeologist who was supposedly involved denied ever seeing the carvings.
- Stone Circle Claim: It was said that the top of the "pyramid" had a megalithic stone circle with thirteen pillars. But a photograph used to support this claim was actually from a site in Corsica, France, not Gympie. Someone also claimed to have found five other statues near the Gympie pyramid, but later admitted the pictures were fake.
See also
In Spanish: Pirámide de Gympie para niños
