This is Dr Natawijaja’s post. You can read the full paper that he is refering to being retracted here
THE UNJUST RETRACTION OF GROUND BREAKING RESEARCH: A CALL FOR ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
We, the authors, express profound disappointment at the unwarranted retraction of our paper titled “Geoarchaeological Prospecting of Gunung Padang Buried Pre-Historic Pyramid in West Java, Indonesia”, published in Archaeological Prospection by Wiley on October 20, 2023 (Enclosure#1).
The retraction is solely based on unfounded claims raised by third parties who hold differing opinions and disbelieve in the evidence, analysis, and conclusions (Enclosure#2). Despite our diligent efforts to address and refute the unfounded claims with robust scientific data (Enclosures#3 & #4), the Wiley team chose to align with the assertions of anonymous individuals. To our knowledge, neither the anonymous third parties nor the Wiley Team has provided conclusive evidence or offered sufficient scientific rationale to substantiate their decision to retract our paper based on an alleged major error (Enclosure #5).
Was the decision to retract our paper a severe form of censorship, blatantly disregarding the fundamental principles of scientific inquiry, transparency, and fairness in academic discourse?
We urge the academic community, scientific organizations, and concerned individuals to stand with us in challenging this decision and upholding the principles of integrity, transparency, and fairness in scientific research and publishing.
As elucidated in our paper and further expounded upon in our correspondence (Enclosure#3), the rock-construction layers, identified as Units 1, 2, and 3, from which the soil samples were extracted, have been unequivocally established as man-made constructions or archaeological features, rather than natural geological formations. These layers are accompanied by numerous small portable artifacts, providing tangible evidence of their anthropogenic origin (Enclosure#4). Moreover, our interpretation does not simply propose the existence of an ancient pyramid built 9,000 or more years ago but rather suggests the presence of a complex structure comprising three construction-rock layers erected in distinct phases: 1,000 – 2,000 BCE (Unit 1), 5,500 – 6,000 BCE (Unit 2), and 14,000 – 25,000 BCE (Unit 3).
If they dispute the assertion that the rock layers (Unit 1, 2, 3) are man-made structures, they must provide an alternative geological explanation for their shapes, composition, and arrangement. Consequently, the retraction lacks scientific validity, as it overlooks the substantial evidence presented in our paper and correspondence supporting our conclusions. Instead, it disregards this evidence without proper consideration or explanation, effectively ‘burying’ it (Enclosure #5).
In light of the aforementioned concerns, we have appended the original article, a given document of the third-party critiques, our correspondence with the Wiley team, additional data, and our response to the retraction notice below.
Sincerely,
The Authors of the Paper
(Danny Hilman Natawidjaja, Andang Bachtiar, Bagus Endar B. Nurhandoko, Ali Akbar, Pon Purajatnika, Mudrik R. Daryono, Dadan D. Wardhana, Andri S. Subandriyo, Andi Krisyunianto, Tagyuddin, Budianto Ontowiryo, and Yusuf Maulana)
ENCLOSURES:
Contains:
1. The Article “Geoarchaeological Prospecting of Gunung Padang Buried Pre-Historic Pyramid in West Java, Indonesia” includes Vast Complementary Figures
2. Document of Critiques by the Third Parties, provided by the Wiley Team on December 19, 2023
3. Transcript of Email Correspondences between the Wiley Team and the Authors, including the Author’s rebuttal
4. Extra figures accompany the authors’ rebuttal on February 5, 2024.
5. Official Retraction Notice and Author’s Comments.
