2020 has been a year of great uncertainty and distress, and it¡¯s not just owing to the pandemic but also because of several mysterious occurrences. Of the numerous strange events that defined 2020, one has been the mysterious appearance (and disappearance) of monoliths in different parts of the world.
For the millions intrigued by the monolith and its mysteries, there are crucial questions that still need concrete answers. Who made them? What were they for? How long have they been around? Is it just a prank?
The first monolith, found in a remote part of Utah, drewcomparisons to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which a group of apesdiscovers a monolith and that triggers a shift in evolution.
For those confused about this strange occurrence, here¡¯s a brief timeline of the mysterious monoliths and the theories behind the same.
On November 18, 2020, during a routine survey of bighornsheep in Utah¡¯s Red Rock Country, the US state¡¯s wildlife agency discovered a10-12 ft tall, three-sided metal monolith at the base of a canyon. The riddle in the desert, twice as tall as anaverage adult, drew scores to see it even though its exactlocation was not made public, according to accounts on social media.
On November 27, an unknown party removed themonolith in Utah and the officials had no hand in this. However, BASE jumperAndy Lewis and adventure guide Sylvan Christensen, claimed they removed the monolith from the desert on November 27, and apparently even filmed themselves doing so. It was reportedly then replaced with a small pyramid.
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Guesses as to what happened ran wild online, with one personpostulating, ¡°The space aliens returned to remove it.¡±
The art world has speculated that the object was the work ofJohn McCracken, a sculptor fond who died in 2011. His son, Patrick McCracken,has told The New York Times his father told him in 2002 that ¡°he would like toleave his artwork in remote places to be discovered later.¡±
Also Read:?Monolith Mystery Continues: Another Structure Shows Up In England And No One Knows How It Got There
The day the Utah monolith disappeared, a second monolithappeared on Batca Doamnei, a hill close to the town of Piatra Neamt, Romaniannews outlet Ziar Piatra Neamt reported. This monolith disappeared on December1.
The two structures are strikingly similar but bear a fewdifferences. Both structures were reported to be about 3 metres (nearly 10feet) tall. But the Romanian monolith was covered in circles, while the onefound in Utah was smooth.
This monolith also mysteriously disappeared.
In Romania, the triangular structure had a height of about13 feet and one side faced Mount Ceahlau, known locally as the HolyMountain.? ??
One day after the second monolith disappeared, a third oneemerged on top of Pine Mountain in Atascadero, California on December 2nd. This one was made of stainless steel andwas 10 feet tall and about 18 inches wide. However, this one was torn down by agroup of young men, who replaced the metal structure with a wooden cross.? ? ?
Once again, the origins of this monolith are unclear. Dailyhiker Ray Johnson told Atascadero News that he had not noticed while hiking theday before.?
Another monolith was discovered at the Fremont StreetExperience in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. A Fremont Street Experiencespokesperson said the team first noticed the object in the early morning hourson Friday but no further immediate information was available to share.
Another metal the monolith was discovered ¨C this time in a Dutch nature reserve, overlooking anicy puddle. In the Netherlands, local media reported that there were nofootprints leading up to the steel object, and it is unclear how the statuearrived in the Kiekenberg reserve, near the town of Oudehorn.
Another monolith was found on the Isle of Wight, off thesouth coast of England, UK. A group of people walking their dog discovered thestrange object on the island's Compton Beach early in the morning.?
Thismonolith was around 10 feet tall and reflective. According to sources, thismonolith is 8-foot-tall. Alexia Fishwick who found the monolith told the BBCthat she was "dumbstruck" by it and "many people walked past andignored it."
Colorado witnessed numerous monoliths and they were spotted at Chautauqua Park in South Boulder as well as infront of McDevitt Taco Supply in South Boulder, though the two sightings couldhave been of the same monolith, which may have been moved.
Capitalizing on the intrigue surrounding the other monolithsand hoping to provide a distraction from the daily drumbeat of COVID-19 news,the owner of Grandpa Joe¡¯s Candy Shop, Christopher Beers, commissioned a10-foot tall, 24-inch wide triangle of plywood covered in sheet metal.
Beers said he was captivated by sculptures that madeheadlines starting in November, the first appearing in Utah¡¯s Red Rock Country,vaguely resembling the so-called monoliths in Stanley Kubrick¡¯s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The latest mysterious metal monolith to appear acrossAmerica is in El Paso, Texas.
Onlookers gathered to get their picture taken with the tall,silver, shining object near Sunset and Doniphan, across from an Ardovino'sPizza restaurant.
There are three theories behind the mysterious appearances of the monoliths in Utah, Romania and California.
1. Aliens, of course!?
The first and the most popular theory among netizens is that these monoliths are in fact artefacts left on earth by an alien race.
2. Artworks
Another speculation is that the monolith is clearly "somebody's art installation or an attempt at that.? These artworks could have been created and installed in the vein of the Earth Art (Land Art) Movement which emerged in the 1960s and 70s.?
Reportedly, the movement was in protest against the "ruthless commercialization" of art in the United States. It had also gained momentum in Great Britain and many other countries.
However, based on the photos shared by the Utah authorities, many people have pointed out that the monolith lacks the finesse expected from an artist, and so is most likely created as a prank.??
3. Prank
The third theory is that these monoliths are a prank or a hoax like the crop circles or geometric patterns which mysteriously began to appear in fields in England in the 1970s.??
What do you think?