An international team of researchers from South Africa and Hungary has identified what may be the world’s oldest active termite mounds, predating human civilization by many millennia. Some mounds are dated to about 34 thousand years ago, according to analyses published in the science journal Total Environmental Science (STE).
Lead author Michelle Francis notes the discovery in terms that highlight its scale: these mounds are older than Europe’s famed cave paintings and even older than the Last Glacial Maximum, a period when vast ice sheets covered large parts of the northern hemisphere.
In South Africa, these ancient mounds sit along the Buffels River in Namaqualand on the west coast, with the landscape showing a striking 20 percent coverage by similar structures. The finding reveals that termite-made habitats in this region are nearly nine times older than the oldest known Brazilian mounds, which are about four thousand years old.
The researchers describe a substantial ecosystem complex built by termites, contributing to carbon capture and storage. Each nest can contain as much as 14 tons of carbon, underscoring the role of termites in long-term carbon management.
Through chemical analysis, the team traced the pathways by which atmospheric carbon is drawn into these mounds. Termites collect organic matter and funnel it into their nests, loosening surrounding soils and enabling greater water penetration. Microbes in the soil then convert this stored carbon into calcium carbonate, strengthening the mound structure and locking carbon away.
During periods of heavy rainfall, calcium carbonate inside the mounds reacts with atmospheric carbon dioxide carried by rainwater. This reaction chains together, enhancing the sequestration of CO2 from the atmosphere into the mound material.
The researchers indicate that carbon capture can begin a meter below the surface and be stored for extended timescales, contributing to long-term carbon storage as part of the region’s natural systems.
Earlier studies have explored the remarkable engineering feats termites achieve when constructing their intricate colonies, illustrating how a small insect community can shape a vast underground and aboveground landscape. These findings add another layer to understanding termite ecosystems and their potential climate implications, inviting further exploration of how such ancient structures may inform modern carbon strategies.
Attribution: STE study and related publications are cited as the basis for these conclusions, with ongoing research aimed at refining dating methods and mapping the full extent of these ancient mound networks across southern Africa.