Topping our list of the 12 oldest trees is Methuselah, a Great Basin bristlecone pine located in the White Mountains of California, aged over 4,850 years. To put this into perspective, when this tree was just a sapling, the Ancient Egyptians hadn't even begun the construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza. To shield these 'living fossils' from vandalism, their exact locations remain a strictly guarded state secret. Compared to these titans, the rise and fall of human empires are but a fleeting moment. As of 2026, researchers speculate that undiscovered individuals in the region might exceed the 5,000-year mark, potentially challenging the current record.