The oldest 2,200-year-old termite mound on Earth

A giant 2,000-year-old giant termite nest discovered in Africa is the oldest termite mound on Earth and is proof that insects can live in a house for thousands of years.

Discover the oldest termite nest in the world

According to BBC, termites are good engineers, it can build nests higher than 10 m, 15m wide. The nest is like air conditioning, helping them avoid heat and ventilation. Hundreds of thousands of termites will live in this house.

Giant termite mounds are found in Congo.(Photo: BBC)

In the Miombom forest , Republic of Congo, central Africa, scientists found an abandoned mound , identified more than 2,200 years old. This is the oldest termite mound ever discovered, not to mention the termite mounds in the form of fossils.

The research team led by Hans Erens, including researchers from Gent University (Belgium) and Lubumbashi University (Congo) took up to four days to determine termite dating, using radioisotope techniques. Carbon 14.

" The huge size of the termite shows its age far beyond the age of the lord, " the scientists said. This termite mound is built by the termite Macrotermes falciger , used until 500-800 years ago, when the area was extremely warm.

On abandoned termite mounds, termite species continue to build nests. There are 4 termite groups tested, and two of them have termites that live on the top. The new team dates from 675-766 years old, asserting the hypothesis that termite species live in the same nest for thousands of years.