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List of oldest extant buildings

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is alist of oldest extant buildings.

Criteria

[edit]

Abuilding is defined as any human-made structure used or interface for supporting or sheltering any use or continuousoccupancy. In order to qualify for this list, a structure must:

be a recognisable building;
incorporate features of building work from the claimed date to at least 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in height;
be largely complete or include building work to this height for most of its perimeter.
contain an enclosed area with at least one entry point.

This deliberately excludes ruins of limited height and statues. The list also excludes:

dolmens, a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of three or more upright stones supporting a large flat horizontal capstone. Dolmens were typically covered with earth or smaller stones to form atumulus (which are included in the list). In many instances, that covering has weathered away, leaving only the stone "skeleton" of the burial mound intact.Neolithic dolmens are extremely numerous, with over 1,000 reported fromMecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany alone.^[1]
cairns, which are simply large piles of loose stones (as opposed tochambered cairns)
standing stone rings, such asStonehenge, also do not count because they are not enclosed and do not have roofs.

Dates for many of the oldest structures have been arrived at byradiocarbon dating and should be considered approximate.

By age

[edit]

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 inGöbekli 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 roofs. There are numerous extant structures that survive in theOrkney islands of Scotland, some of the best known of which are part of theHeart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site.^[2] The list also contains many large buildings from the EgyptianAge of the Pyramids.

Building	Image	Country	Continent	First built	Use	Note
Tell Qaramel (Tel Al-Qaramel)		Syria	Asia	c. 10,650 - c. 9650 BCE	Tower	Located inAleppo Governorate, five stone towers were found at Tell Qaramel; dated to the period from the middle of the 11th millennium BCE to about 9650 BCE, making them the oldest structures of this type in the world.^[3]
Karahan Tepe		Turkey	Asia	c. 10,000 - c. 9500 BCE	Settlement	Located in southernTurkey. Part of a region of similar sites now being uncovered known as theTaş Tepeler.
Göbekli Tepe		Turkey	Asia	c. 9500 - c, 8000 BCE	Place of worship	SouthernTurkey. The tell includes two phases of use, believed to be of a social or ritual nature by site discoverer and excavatorKlaus Schmidt, dating back to the 10th–8th millennium BCE. The structure is 300 m in diameter and 15 m high.
Jerf el Ahmar		Syria	Asia	c. 9500 - c. 8700 BCE	Settlement	Located in northern Syria, Jerf el Ahmar is particularly notable for its communal buildings, a number of which attest to complex community organization and suggest connections between architecture design and rituals or cult practices.^[4]
The rectangular buildings ofMureybet		Syria	Asia	c. 9000 BCE	Settlement	Located in Raqqa Governorate, northern Syria, Mureybet was first settled in 10,200 BCE. As the settlement evolved, rectangular structures composed of several rooms began to emerge at the end of the 10th millennium BCE.^[5]
Tower of Jericho		West Bank,Palestine	Asia	c. 8000 BCE	Tower	An 8.5-metre-tall (28-foot) stone structure, constructed of undressed stones, with an internal staircase of twenty-two steps.
Çatalhöyük		Turkey	Asia	c. 7500 – c. 5700 BCE	Settlement	A very largeNeolithic andChalcolithic proto-city settlement in southernAnatolia
Mehrgarh		Pakistan	Asia	c. 7000 BCE	Settlement	ANeolithic archaeological site situated on theKacchi Plain ofBalochistan inPakistan. It is located near theBolan Pass, to the west of theIndus River and between the modern-day Pakistani cities ofQuetta,Kalat andSibi.
Barnenez		France	Europe	c. 4850 BCE	Passage grave	Located in northernFinistère and partially restored. According toAndré 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.^[6]^[7]
Tumulus of Bougon		France	Europe	c. 4800 BCE	Tumulus	A necropolis, complex of tombs with varying dates inDeux-Sèvres nearNiort andPoitiers, the oldest being E and F0.^[6]
Saint-Michel tumulus		France	Europe	c. 4500 BCE	Tumulus	The tumulus forms what is almost an artificialhillock of more than 30,000 m³ (1,100,000 cu ft) (60 m × 125 m × 10 m (197 ft × 410 ft × 33 ft)).^[8]^[9]
Anu ziggurat ofUruk		Iraq	Asia	c. 4000 – c. 3800 BCE	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	c. 3800 BCE^[10]^[11]	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 BCE, the second shrine dating to 3500–3000 BCE."^[12]
Knap of Howar		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3800 BCE	House	Oldest preserved stone house in north west Europe.^[13]^[14]^[15]
La Hougue Bie		Jersey	Europe	c. 4000 – c. 3500 BCE	Passage grave	An 18.6 m (61 ft) long Neolithic passage grave with 12th century (medieval) chapel above^[16] and World War II structures.^[17]^[18]
Dolmen of Menga		Spain	Europe	c. 3700 BCE	Tomb	Amegalithic burial mound called atumulus, along barrow form ofdolmen
West Kennet Long Barrow		United Kingdom (England)	Europe	c. 3650 BCE	Tomb	Located nearSilbury Hill andAvebury stone circle.^[19]
Ġgantija		Malta	Europe	c. 3600 BCE	Temple	Two structures on the island ofGozo. The second was built four centuries after the oldest.^[20]^[21]
Wayland's Smithy		United Kingdom (England)	Europe	c. 3570 BCE	Chamber tomb	A barrow constructed on top of an older burial chamber.^[22]
Shahr-e Sukhteh		Iran	Asia	c. 3550 BCE	Settlement	A rich source of information regarding the emergence of complex societies and contacts between them in the third millennium^[23]
Listoghil		Ireland	Europe	c. 3500 BCE	Passage Tomb	At the centre of theCarrowmore 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.^[24]
Stoney Littleton Long Barrow		United Kingdom (England)	Europe	c. 3500 BCE	Tomb	Neolithic chambered tomb with multiple burial chambers, belonging to theSevern-Cotswold group located nearWellow, Somerset, England.^[25]
Sechin Bajo		Peru	South America	c. 3500 BCE	Plaza	The oldest known building in the Americas.^[26]^[27]
Midhowe Chambered Cairn		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3500 BCE	Tomb	A well-preservedchambered cairn of theOrkney-Cromarty type on the island ofRousay.^[28]
Gavrinis passage tomb		France	Europe	c. 3500 BCE	Tomb	On a small island, situated in theGulf of Morbihan.^[29]
Quanterness chambered cairn		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3400 BCE	Tomb	The remains of 157 individuals were found inside when excavated in the 1970s.^[30]^[31]^[32]
Loughcrew		Ireland	Europe	c. 3300 BCE	Tomb	It is the site ofmegalithic burial grounds dating back to approximately 3500 and 3300 BCE
Tarxien Temples		Malta	Europe	c. 3250 BCE	Temples	Part of theMegalithic Temples of Malta World Heritage Site.^[20]^[33]
Hulbjerg Jættestue		Denmark	Europe	c. 3250 BCE	Passage grave	The grave is concealed by a round barrow on the southern tip of the island ofLangeland. One of the skulls found there showed traces of the world's earliest dentistry work.^[34]^[35]^[36]
Dolmen de Viera		Spain	Europe	c. 3250 BCE	Tomb	The Dolmen de Viera or Dolmen de los Hermanos Viera is a dolmen—a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb^[37]
Knowth		Ireland	Europe	c. 3200 BCE	Passage grave	ANeolithic passage grave and an ancient monument of the World Heritage Site ofBrú na Bóinne
Dowth		Ireland	Europe	c. 3200 BCE	Tomb	The cairn is about 85 metres (280 ft) in diameter and 15 metres (50 ft) high.
Tomb of the Eagles		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3200 BCE	Tomb	In use for 800 years or more. Numerous bird bones were found here, predominantlywhite-tailed sea eagle.^[38]^[39]
Skara Brae		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3180 BCE	Settlement	Northern Europe's best preserved Neolithic village.^[40]^[41]
Unstan Chambered Cairn		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3100 BCE	Tomb	Excavated in 1884, when grave goods were found, giving their name toUnstan ware.^[30]^[42]^[43]
Newgrange		Ireland	Europe	c. 3100 BCE^[44]	Burial	Partially reconstructed around original passage grave.^[45]
Knowe of Yarso chambered cairn		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3000 BCE	Tomb	One of several Rousay tombs. It contained numerous deer skeletons when excavated in the 1930s.^[30]^[46]^[47]
Tepe Sialk ziggurat		Iran	Asia	c. 3000 BCE	Ziggurat	The oldest settlements in Sialk to date to around 6000–5500 BCE.^[48]^[49] The Sialk ziggurat was built around 3000 BCE.
Dolmen de Bagneux		France	Europe	c. 3000 BCE	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.^[50]^[51]^[52]
Grey Cairns of Camster		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3000 BCE	Tomb	Located nearUpper Camster inCaithness.^[53]^[54]
Dolmens of North Caucasus		Russia	Europe	c. 3000 BCE	Tomb	There are numerous tombs, some perhaps originating in theMaikop culture, in the North Caucasus.^[55]^[56]
Taversoe Tuick chambered cairn		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3000 BCE	Tomb	Unusually, there is an upper and lower chamber.^[57]
Holm of Papa chambered cairn		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3000 BCE	Tomb	The central chamber is over 20 m (66 ft) long.^[58]^[59]
Barpa Langass		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3000 BCE	Tomb	The best preserved chambered cairn in theHebrides.^[60]^[61]
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 3000 BCE	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	c. 3000 BCE	Tomb	An arc of Bronze Age mounds surrounds this cairn on the island ofSanday.^[64]
Maeshowe		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 2800 BCE	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]
Vinquoy chambered cairn		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 2750 BCE	Tomb	^[67]
Shunet El Zebib		Egypt	Africa	c. 2700 BCE	Mortuary temple	Built as a funerary enclosure, a place where the deceased king was worshipped and memorialised.
Pyramid of Djoser		Egypt	Africa	c. 2670 – c. 2650 BCE	Burial	Earliest large-scale cut stone construction.^[68]
Dholavira		India	Asia	c. 2650 BCE	Settlement	A complex of ruins with varying dates atDholavira.^[69]^[70]^[71] 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).^[72]
Harappa		Pakistan	Asia	c. 2600 BCE	Settlement	A Bronze Age fortified city with clay sculptured houses located west ofSahiwal.^[73] TheIndus Valley civilization had a possible writing system, urban centers, and diversified social and economic system.
Mohenjo-daro		Pakistan	Asia	c. 2600 BCE	Settlement	An archeological site nearLarkana.^[74] 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	c. 2600 BCE	Pyramid	Once thought to be the oldest building in South America.^[75]
Pyramid of Meidum		Egypt	Africa	c. 2580 BCE	Tomb	Fourth Dynasty structure completed bySneferu.
Bent Pyramid		Egypt	Africa	c. 2580 BCE	Tomb	A second structure completed by Sneferu.
Red Pyramid		Egypt	Africa	c. 2580 BCE	Tomb	Third large pyramid completed by Sneferu.^[76]
Great Pyramid of Giza		Egypt	Africa	c. 2560 BCE	Tomb	Mausoleum forfourth dynasty Egyptian PharaohKhufu.^{[citation needed]}World's tallest man-made structure for over 3800 years, untilLincoln Cathedral in 1311.
Pyramid of Khafre		Egypt	Africa	c. 2550 BCE	Tomb	One of thePyramids of Giza.^[77]
Pyramid of Menkaure		Egypt	Africa	c. 2510 BCE	Tomb	Menkaure was probablyKhafre's successor.
Megalithic Monuments of Alcalar		Portugal	Europe	c. 2500 BCE	Tomb	A group of burial tombs that comprise aCalcolithic necropolis.
Capel Garmon		United Kingdom (Wales)	Europe	c. 2500 BCE	Tomb	Burial chamber dating from the 3rd millennium BCE that belongs to theSevern-Cotswold Group.^[78]
Royal Palace of Mari		Syria	Asia	c. 2500 BCE	Palace	Located in the ancient Kingdom of Mari in eastern Syria, the Palace covered more than two hectares, and included some 300 rooms, corridors, and courtyards.
Western Deffufa		Sudan	Africa	c. 2500 BCE	Temple	The Western Deffufa is a temple rising around 20 meters high, and built from sun baked mudbricks. It was central to the civilization of Kerma.^[79]
Pyramid of Userkaf		Egypt	Africa	c. 2490 BCE	Tomb	Located close to Pyramid of Djoser.^[80]
Pyramid of Sahure		Egypt	Africa	c. 2480 BCE	Tomb	Built forSahure.^[81]
Pyramid of Neferirkare Kakai		Egypt	Africa	c. 2460 BCE	Tomb	Built forNeferirkare Kakai.^[81]
Pyramid of Neferefre		Egypt	Africa	c. 2460 - c. 2440 BCE	Tomb	Never completed but does contain a tomb.^[81]
Pyramid of Nyuserre		Egypt	Africa	c. 2430 BCE	Tomb	^[82]
Pyramid of Djedkare Isesi		Egypt	Africa	c. 2375 BCE	Tomb
Pyramid of Unas		Egypt	Africa	c. 2350 BCE	Tomb	^[83]
Pyramid of Teti		Egypt	Africa	c. 2340 BCE	Tomb
Royal Palace ofEbla		Syria	Asia	c. 2400 – c. 2300 BCE	Palace
Labbacallee		Ireland	Europe	c. 2300 BCE	Tomb	The largest wedge tomb in Ireland.^[84]
Shimao		China (Shaanxi)	Asia	c. 2300 BCE	Settlement	Fortified Neolithic site, centered on a large stepped pyramid with a height of 70 meters.^[85]
Pyramid of Merenre		Egypt	Africa	c. 2280 BCE	Tomb	Built forMerenre Nemtyemsaf I but not completed.
Pyramid of Pepi II		Egypt	Africa	c. 2250 BCE	Tomb
Crantit cairn		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	c. 2130 BCE	Tomb	Discovered in 1998 nearKirkwall.^[86]^[87]
Ziggurat of Ur		Iraq	Asia	c. 2100 BCE	Temple	The Great Ziggurat of Ur was a temple built under KingUr-Nammu in honor of the goddessNanna. It was partially reconstructed in the 1980s underSaddam Hussein.
Dolmen of Cava dei Servi		Italy (Sicily)	Europe	2000 BCE	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.^[88]
Rubha an Dùnain passage grave		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	2000 BCE or older	Tomb	^[89]^[90]^[91]
Corrimony chambered cairn		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	2000 BCE or older	Tomb	A Clava-type passage grave surrounded by a circle of 11 standing stones.^[92]^[93]
Bryn Celli Ddu		United Kingdom (Wales)	Europe	2000 BCE	Tomb	Located on the island ofAnglesey.^[94]
Balnuaran of Clava		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	2000 BCE	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.^[91]^[95]^[96]
Pyramid of Amenemhat I		Egypt	Africa	c. 1960 BCE	Tomb
Karnak		Egypt	Africa	1971–1926 BCE	Temple	Actually a temple complex.
Pyramid of Senusret I		Egypt	Africa	c. 1920 BCE	Tomb
Pyramid of Senusret II		Egypt	Africa	c. 1875 BCE	Tomb
Knossos		Greece	Europe	1850–1750 BCE	Palace	Minoan structure on a Neolithic site.^[97]
Pyramid of Senusret III		Egypt	Africa	c. 1835 BCE	Tomb	Built forSenusret III.
Black Pyramid		Egypt	Africa	c. 1820 BCE	Tomb	Built forAmenemhat III, it has multiple structural deficits.
Hawara		Egypt	Africa	c. 1810 BCE	Tomb	Also built for Amenemhat III.
Pyramid of Khendjer		Egypt	Africa	c. 1760 BCE	Tomb	Built for pharaohKhendjer.
Daorson	Cyclopean walls of Daorson	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Europe	17–16th century BCE	City and citadel	Illyrian settlement and capital ofDaorsi tribe.
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut		Egypt	Africa	15th century BCE	Temple
Hundatorra		United Kingdom (England)	Europe	c.1700-1200 BCE	Settlement
Nuraghe Santu Antine		Italy (Sardinia)	Europe	1600 BCE	Possibly a fort	The second tallest of these megalithic edifices found inSardinia and tallest still standing.^[98]
Sinauli		India	Asia	1800 BCE	Settlement	The Sinauli excavation site is located in Sinauli, westernUttar Pradesh, India, at theGanga-Yamuna Doab.^[99]^[100] Major findings from 2018 trial excavations are dated to c. 2000 - 1800 BCE, and ascribed to theOchre Coloured Pottery culture (OCP)/Copper Hoard Culture. The rituals relating to the Sanauli burials shows close affinity with Vedic rituals.^[101]
Royal Palace of Ugarit		Syria	Asia	1500 BCE	Palace	Located in the ancient Kingdom ofUgarit on the Syrian coast, the Palace covers an area of 6,500 square metres.
Adichanallur		India	Asia	1500 BCE	Settlement	In 2004, a number of skeletons were found buried in earthenwareurns. Some of these urns contained writing inTamil Brahmi script. While some of the burial urns contained skeletons.^[102] In 2018, research on skeletons remains were dated atManipur University to around 1500 BCE.^[103]
Su Nuraxi di Barumini		Italy (Sardinia)	Europe	1500 BCE	Possibly a fort or a palace	The palace of Barumini is formed by a huge quatrefoilednuraghe, whose central tower is its oldest construction. Originally it was almost 20 m (66 ft) high and divided into three floors.^[104]^[105]
Luxor Temple		Egypt	Africa	c.1400 BCE	Temple	Actually a temple complex.
Nuraghe La Prisciona		Italy (Sardinia)	Europe	1400 BCE	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.^[106]
The King's Grave		Sweden	Europe	1400 BCE	Tomb	NearKivik is the remains of an unusually grandNordic Bronze Age double burial.^[107]
The Ziggurat ofDur-Kurigalzu		Iraq	Asia	14th century BCE	Probably religious rituals	Built for theKassite KingKurigalzu I.^[108]
Treasury of Atreus		Greece	Europe	1250 BCE	Tomb	The tallest and widest dome in the world for over a thousand years.^[109]
Chogha Zanbil		Iran	Asia	1250 BCE	Temple	One of the few extantziggurats outside ofMesopotamia.^[110]
Mortuary Temple of Seti I		Egypt	Africa	13th century BCE	Temple
Ramesseum		Egypt	Africa	13th century BCE	Temple	Mortuary temple ofRamses II.
Naveta d'Es Tudons		Spain	Europe	1200–750 BCE	Ossuary	The most famousmegalithic chamber tomb inMenorca.^[111]
Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III		Egypt	Africa	1186–1155 BCE	Temple
Dún Aonghasa		Ireland	Europe	1100 BCE	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.^[112]^[113]
Cuicuilco Circular Pyramid		Mexico	North America	800–600 BCE	Ceremonial center	One of the oldest standing structures of the Mesoamerican cultures. First steps in the creation of a sun based calendar.^[114]
Van Fortress		Turkey	Asia	750 BCE	Fortress	MassiveUrartean stone fortification overlookingTushpa.
Necropolises ofCerveteri andTarquinia		Italy	Europe	700 BCE	Tombs	TheseEtruscan necropolises contain thousands of tombs, some organized in a city-like plan.^[115]
Temple of Cyrene		Libya	Africa	c. 630 BCE	Temple	The temple was destroyed and rebuilt around 115 CE and was damaged in the 4th century CE.
Keezhadi excavation site		India	Asia	580 BCE	Settlement	Keezhadi (also asKeeladi)excavation site is aSangam period settlement that is being excavated by theArchaeological Survey of India and theTamil Nadu Archaeology Department.
Temple of Hera		Italy	Europe	550 BCE	Temple	Part of a complex of three great temples in Doric style.^[116]
Tomb of Cyrus		Iran	Asia	530 BCE	Tomb	Tomb ofCyrus the Great, located inPasargadae
Persepolis		Iran	Asia	522 BCE	Ceremonial capital	Ceremonial capital of theAchaemenid Empire
Yeha Temple		Ethiopia	Africa	500 BCE	Temple	Temple of the sun and moon.
Parthenon		Greece	Europe	432–447 BCE	Temple	In theAcropolis of Athens
Tomb of Seuthes III		Bulgaria	Europe	450–400 BCE	Tomb	The tomb was originally a monumental temple at Golyama Kosmatka Mound, built in the second half of the 5th century BCE. After extended use as a temple, at the later part of the 3rd century BCE theThracian kingSeuthes III was buried inside.
Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak		Bulgaria	Europe	300–400 BCE	Tomb	Located near Seutopolis, the capital city of theThracian kingSeuthes III, and part of a large necropolis.^[117] It is one of the most elaborate tombs in theValley of the Thracian Rulers where the first use of brickwork in Europe was established.
Sanchi Stupa		India	Asia	300 BCE	Buddhist temple	In the village ofSanchi
Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari		Bulgaria	Europe	300–280 BCE	Tomb	Discovered in 1982 in a mound, this 3rd century BCEGetic tomb reflects the fundamental structural principles ofThracian cult buildings. The tomb's architectural decor is considered to be unique, with polychrome half-human, half-plantcaryatids and painted murals.
Dhamek Stupa		India	Asia	249 BCE rebuilt c. 500 CE	Buddhist Temple	InSarnath,Varanasi
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor		China	Asia	Began construction 246 BCE, finished 208 BCE	Tomb	Commonly known as theTerracotta 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 ofQin Shi Huang.
Ruwanwelisaya		Sri Lanka	Asia	140 BCE	Stupa	InAnuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Broch of Mousa		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	100 BCE	Broch	Located inShetland it is among the best-preservedprehistoric buildings in Europe.^[118]^[119]
Dun Carloway		United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	100 BCE	Broch	Built in the first century BCE^[120]
Masada		Israel	Asia	37 BCE	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 CE	Temple	one of the best preserved Roman temples, inNîmes
Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum		China (Hong Kong)	Asia	25 CE	Tomb
Temple of Garni		Armenia	Asia	c. 77 CE	Temple
Colosseum		Italy	Europe	70–80 CE	Amphitheatre

By continent

[edit]

The following are amongst the oldest known extant buildings on each of the major continents.

Building	Country	Continent	First built	Use	Notes
Towers of Tell Qaramel	Syria	Asia	10650–9650 BCE	Tower	Located in Aleppo Governorate, five stone towers were found at Tell Qaramel; dated to the period from the middle of the 11th millennium BCE to about 9650 BCE, making them the oldest structures of this type in the world.
Durankulak (archaeological site)	Bulgaria	Europe	5500—4100 BCE	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 CE. The total thickness of the cultural strata is 3.20 - 3.50 m. The settlement mound has seven stratigraphic horizons.
Solnitsata	Bulgaria	Europe	5500 BCE^[121]	Settlement	Believed to be the oldest town in Europe, Solnitsata was the site of a prehistoric fortified (walled) stone settlement (prehistoriccity) andsalt production facility approximately from the 6th – 5th millennia BCE;^[122] it flourished ca 4700–4200 BCE.^[123]^[124]^[125] A large collection of the oldestgold objects in the world was found nearby, in theVarna Necropolis^[122]
Shunet El Zebib	Egypt	Africa	2700 BCE	Mortuary temple	Built as a funerary enclosure, a place where the deceased king was worshipped and memorialised.
Los Naranjos	Honduras	North America	2000 BCE	Temples	Oldest extant buildings in Honduras, constructed by ancestors of theLenca people.^[126]
Nan Madol	Federated States of Micronesia	Oceania	700s CE	City	City constructed by thePohnpeians in the 700s CE onhuman-made islands (also created by the Pohnpeians). Nan Madol contains the oldest known extant buildings in Oceania.
Cape Adare huts	Ross Dependency	Antarctica	1899 CE	Explorers' huts	Wooden buildings constructed byCarsten Borchgrevink inVictoria Land.^[127]

By country

[edit]

The following are among the oldest buildings in their respective countries.

Building	Country	Continent	First Built	Use	Notes
Towers of Tell Qaramel	Syria	Asia	10650–9650 BCE	Tower	Located in Aleppo Governorate, five stone towers were found at Tell Qaramel; dated to the period from the middle of the 11th millennium BCE to about 9650 BCE, making them the oldest structures of this type in the world.
Göbeklitepe	Turkey	Asia	9500-7500 BCE	Unknown/likely temple	Oldest temple in the world.
Durankulak	Bulgaria	Europe	5500—4100 BCE	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 CE. The total thickness of the cultural strata is 3.20 - 3.50 m. The settlement mound has seven stratigraphic horizons.
Solnitsata	Bulgaria	Europe	5500 BCE^[121]	Settlement	Believed to be the oldest town in Europe, Solnitsata was the site of a prehistoric fortified stone settlement andsalt production facility approximately six millennia ago;^[122] it flourished ca 4700–4200 BCE.^[123] The settlement waswalled to protect the salt, a crucial commodity in antiquity.^[124] Although its population has been estimated at only 350,^[124] archaeologist Vassil Nikolov argues that it meets established criteria as a prehistoriccity.^[128] A large collection of the oldestgold objects in the world find nearby, on the site of theVarna Necropolis, has led archaeologists to speculate that this trade resulted in considerable wealth for the town's residents.^[122]
L'Anse aux Meadows	Canada	North America	c. 1000 CE	Settlement	Located on the northernmost tip of the island ofNewfoundland, the Norse settlement is widely accepted as evidence ofpre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact.
Shimao	China	Asia	2300–2000 BCE	Settlement	Fortified Neolithic site, centered on a large stepped pyramid with a height of 70m.^[85]
St. George's Basilica, Prague	Czech Republic	Europe	c. 920 CE	Church	Located withinPrague Castle in the Czech Republic capitalPrague. The building now houses the 19th century Bohemian Art Collection of National Gallery in Prague.
Hulbjerg Jættestue	Denmark	Europe	3000 BCE	Passage grave	The Hulbjerg passage grave is concealed by a round barrow on the southern tip of the island ofLangeland. One of the skulls found there showed traces of the world's earliest dentistry work.^[34]
West Kennet Long Barrow	United Kingdom (England)	Europe	3650 BCE	Tomb	Located nearSilbury Hill andAvebury stone circle.^[19]
Yeha Temple	Ethiopia	Africa	500 BCE	Temple	Oldest standing structure in Ethiopia
Barnenez	France	Europe	4850 BCE	Passage grave	Located in northernFinistère and partially restored. The structure is 72 m long, 25 m wide and over 8 m high.^[6]^[7] The oldest known building in Eurasia.
Porta Nigra	Germany	Europe	180 CE	Roman city gate	It is today the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps.^[129]
Knossos	Greece	Europe	2000–1300 BCE	Palace	Minoan structure on a Neolithic site.^[97]
Dholavira	India	Asia	3500 BCE	Reservoir	A planned urban settlement comprising reservoirs, pottery artifacts, seals, ornaments, vessels, etc.
Chogha Zanbil	Iran	Asia	1250 BCE	Temple	One of the few extantziggurats outside ofMesopotamia.^[110]
The Ziggurat ofDur-Kurigalzu	Iraq	Asia	14th century BCE	Probably religious rituals	Built by theKassite KingKurigalzu I.^[108]
Newgrange	Ireland	Europe	3200–2900 BCE	Burial	Partially reconstructed around original passage grave.^[45]
Monte d'Accoddi	Italy (Sardinia)	Europe	4000–3600 BCE	Possibly an open-air temple, a ziggurat, or a step pyramid, mastaba.	"A trapezoidal platform on an artificial mound, reached by a sloped causeway."^[12]
Ġgantija	Malta	Europe	3700 BCE	Temple	Two structures on the island ofGozo. The second was built four centuries after the oldest.^[20]^[21]
Cuicuilco Circular Pyramid	Mexico	North America	800–600 BCE	Ceremonial center	One of the oldest standing structures of the Mesoamerican cultures.^[114]
Hunebed (Dolmen)	Netherlands	Europe	4000–3000 BCE	Burial	Common theory states Hunebedden of dolmen are prehistoric burial chambers.
Mission House	New Zealand		1822 CE	Religious	Built byMāori and missionary carpenters.^[130]
Mehrgarh	Pakistan	Asia	c. 2600 BCE	Mud brick storage structures	A complex of ruins with varying dates nearBolan Pass.^[131]^[132]
Sechin Bajo	Peru	South America	3500 BCE	Plaza	The oldest known building in the Americas.^[26]
Dolmens of North Caucasus	Russia	Europe	3000 BCE	Tomb	There are numerous tombs, some perhaps originating in theMaikop culture, in the North Caucasus.^[55]^[56]
Knap of Howar	United Kingdom (Scotland)	Europe	3700 BCE	House	Oldest preserved stone house in north west Europe.^[13]^[14]^[15]
Naveta d'Es Tudons	Spain	Europe	1200–750 BCE	Ossuary	The most famousmegalithic chamber tomb inMenorca.^[111]
The King's Grave	Sweden	Europe	1000 BCE	Tomb	NearKivik is the remains of an unusually grandNordic Bronze Age double burial.^[133]
Hattusa	Turkey	Asia	c. 1600 BCE	Ramparts and ruined buildings	Capital of theHittite Empire in the lateBronze Age located near modernBoğazkale.^[134]
Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv	Ukraine	Europe	1037 CE	Cathedral	Orthodox cathedral, partially rebuilt
Ancestral Puebloan communities	United States	North America	750 CE	Villages	Pueblo construction began in 750 CE and continues to the present day. These buildings have been within the United States since 1848.
Bryn Celli Ddu	United Kingdom (Wales)	Europe	2000 BCE	Tomb	Located on the island ofAnglesey.^[94]
Great Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	Africa	1000 CE	Palace	Capital of the medieval kingdom

By function, structure and building material

[edit]

The following are probably the oldest buildings of their type.

Building	Location	First built	Use	Notes
Towers of Tell Qaramel	Syria	10650–9650 BCE	Tower	Located in Aleppo Governorate, five stone towers were found at Tell Qaramel; dated to the period from the middle of the 11th millennium BCE to about 9650 BCE, making them the oldest structures of this type in the world.
Göbekli Tepe	Turkey	9500–7500 BCE	Unknown, likely temple	Located in southernTurkey. The tell includes two phases of use, believed to be of a social or ritual nature by site discoverer and excavatorKlaus Schmidt, dating back to the 10th–8th millennium BCE. The structure is 300 m in diameter and 15 m high.
Mehrgarh	Pakistan	7000 BCE	Settlement	ANeolithic archaeological site situated on theKacchi Plain ofBalochistan inPakistan. It is located near theBolan Pass, to the west of theIndus River and between the modern-day Pakistani cities ofQuetta,Kalat andSibi.
Durankulak (archaeological site)	Bulgaria	4800–4100 BCE	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 BCE	Tomb	Oldest large-scale cut stone construction^[68]
Luxor Temple	Luxor,Egypt	1400 BCE	Religious	The oldest standing building partly in use. There isan active mosque within the main structure, visible in the picture, that stands on the ancient pillars of the Egyptian temple.
Sanchi Stupa	India	300 BCE	Buddhist temple	Oldest extantBuddhist temple.
Temple of Concordia	Italy	440 BCE	Temple	Oldest fully preserved temple fromAntiquity.
Mundeshwari Temple	Bihar,India	105–320 CE	Hindu Temple	May be the oldest extant (not rebuilt)Hindu temple in the world^[135]^[136] Aninformation 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.^[137]
Pantheon, Rome	Italy	125 CE	Religious	Oldest standing building still in regular use.^[138]
Aula Palatina	Germany	306 CE	Palace basilica	Contains the largest extant hall from antiquity.^[129]
Jokhang	Lhasa,Tibet,China	c. 639 CE	Buddhist temple	Perhaps the world's oldest timber-frame building.^[139]
Hōryū-ji	Nara,Japan	670 CE	Buddhist Temple	Oldest wooden building still standing.^[140]
Nanchan Temple	Wutai,China	782 CE	Buddhist Temple	Its Great Buddha Hall is currently China's oldest extant timber building.
Greensted Church	United Kingdom (England)	c. 1053 CE	Church	May be the oldest, extant wooden church in the world and the oldest, extant wooden building in Europe.^[141]^[142]
Roykstovan in Kirkjubø	Faroe Islands	No clear date, middle of 11th century CE	Farmhouse	May be the oldest continuously inhabited wooden building in the world^[143]
Ditherington Flax Mill	United Kingdom (England,Shrewsbury)	1797 CE	Industrial	The oldest iron framed building in the world.^[144]
Shed Number 78, Sheerness Dockyard	United Kingdom (England,Sheerness)	1860 CE	Industrial	Oldest multi-storey iron-frame and panel structure.^[145]
Manhattan Building	Chicago,United States	1888 CE	Skyscraper	Oldest skyscraper still standing.

References

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Prehistoric technology

Tools

Farming

Food processing
(Paleolithic diet)

Hunting

Arrow Boomerang throwing stick Bow and arrow history Nets Spear spear-thrower baton harpoon Schöningen woomera
Projectile points	Arrowhead Transverse Bare Island Cascade Clovis Cresswell Cumberland Eden Folsom Lamoka Manis Mastodon Plano
Systems	Game drive system Buffalo jump

Toolmaking

Other tools

Architecture

Ceremonial	Kiva Pyramid Standing stones megalith row Stonehenge
Dwellings	Neolithic architecture long house British megalith architecture Nordic megalith architecture Burdei Cave Cliff dwelling Dugout Hut Quiggly hole Jacal Longhouse Mudbrick Mehrgarh Pit-house Pueblitos Pueblo Rock shelter Blombos Cave Abri de la Madeleine Sibudu Cave Roundhouse Stilt house Alp pile dwellings Stone roof Wattle and daub
Water management	Check dam Cistern Flush toilet Reservoir Well
Other architecture	Archaeological features Broch Burnt mound fulacht fiadh Causewayed enclosure Tor enclosure Circular enclosure Goseck Cursus Henge Thornborough Megalithic architectural elements Midden Oldest extant buildings Timber circle Timber trackway Sweet Track

Arts andculture

Material goods	Baskets Beadwork Beds Chalcolithic Clothing/textiles timeline Cosmetics Glue Hides shoes Ötzi Jewelry amber use Mirrors Pottery Cardium Cord-marked Grooved ware Jōmon Linear Unstan ware Sewing needle Weaving Wine winery wine press
Prehistoric art	Art of the Upper Paleolithic Art of the Middle Paleolithic Blombos Cave List of Stone Age art Bird stone Cairn Carved stone balls Cave paintings Cup and ring mark Geoglyph Hill figure Golden hats Guardian stones Gwion Gwion rock paintings painting pigment Megalithic art Petroform Petroglyph Petrosomatoglyph Pictogram Rock art Rock cupule Stone carving Sculpture Statue menhir Stone circle list British Isles and Brittany Venus figurine
Prehistoric music	Evolutionary musicology music archaeology Alligator drum Paleolithic flute Divje Babe flute Gudi
Prehistoric religion	Evolutionary origin of religion Paleolithic religion Spiritual drug use
Burial	Burial mounds Bowl barrow Round barrow Mound Builders culture U.S. sites Chamber tomb Cotswold-Severn Cist Dartmoor kistvaens Clava cairn Court cairn Cremation Dolmen Great dolmen Funeral pyre Gallery grave transepted wedge-shaped Grave goods Jar burial Kuyavian long barrows Long barrow unchambered Grønsalen Megalithic tomb Mummy Passage grave Rectangular dolmen Ring cairn Simple dolmen Stone box grave Tor cairn Unchambered long cairn
Other cultural	Archaeoastronomy sites lunar calendar Behavioral modernity Origin of language Prehistoric counting Prehistoric medicine trepanning Prehistoric warfare Symbols symbolism