Utah monolith
| Utah monolith | |
|---|---|
 Photograph of the monolith taken by Patrick A. Mackie at dawn | |
 | |
| Artist | Unknown |
| Year | 1 October 2016 |
| Type | Obelisk/Monolith |
| Medium | |
| Subject | Unknown |
| Dimensions | 289.56 cm × 58.42 cm × 58.42 cm (114.00 in × 23.00 in × 23.00 in)[1][2][3] |
| Location | 16 miles southwest of Moab, Utah in the Lockhart Basin in San Juan County |
| 38°20′35.2″N 109°39′58.5″W / 38.343111°N 109.666250°W | |
| Owner | Unknown (presumed Utah Bureau of Land Management) |
In November 2020, a metallic pillar 9.5 feet tall was discovered in the red canyons of southeast Utah by state biologists.[2][3] Widely described as a monolith,[4][5] it appears to be made of stainless steel riveted together into the shape of a triangular prism.[6][7] Dating to some time between August 2015 and October 2016, its origin remains unknown.
Public officials announced the discovery but withheld its location to prevent people getting lost while trying to find it. Within hours, the public found it on Google Earth and began visiting the structure where it has been erected on public land that is protected from private manipulation.
Discovery
On November 18, 2020, state biologists of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources were carrying out a survey of bighorn sheep from a helicopter[5] when one of the biologists spotted the structure and told pilot Bret Hutchings to fly over the location again. Hutchings described the moment of discovery:[8]
“One of the biologists is the one who spotted it and we just happened to fly directly over the top of it. He was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, turn around, turn around!’ And I was like, ‘What?’ And he’s like, ‘There’s this thing back there – we’ve got to go look at it!’”
Hutchings said the object appeared manmade and was planted in the ground, not dropped from the sky.[8]
Location and dating
The location of the monolith was not disclosed by the flight crew to prevent people getting lost while trying to find it.[8] The monolith is not present in Google Earth photos from August 2015 but appears in an October 2016 satellite image.[9][10] It is in Lockhart Basin in San Juan County, on land that President Donald Trump removed from Bears Ears National Monument in 2017.[7]
People found the location and showed up to take pictures within hours of the discovery announcement. The owner of a nearby repair shop said that a surge in traffic could damage local Native American sites and artifacts.[11]
Description
The metal structure is 9.5 feet (2.90 meters) tall and is located in a slot canyon in an area of red rocks.[2][3] It has three sides and appears to be made of stainless steel, put together with rivets.[6]
Although the word monolith refers to a single great stone, the word has become closely associated with the monolith from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, which the Utah monolith resembles.[12] It has also been compared to works by artist John McCracken, who died in 2011. The Utah Film Commission said that to their knowledge the monolith is not from a film production.[6]
Dave Sparks of the TV show Diesel Brothers went to the monolith and described it in a video he posted on Instagram. "They got a concrete saw and they cut it into the red rock there," he said. "You can see right here on the bottom where they had a couple of over cuts with the saws."[13]
Legality of artworks on public lands
The Utah Department of public safety released a statement quoting the Bureau of Land Management saying that it is illegal to install structures or art without permission on public lands "no matter what planet you're from".[5]
References
- ^ "Mystery of metal monolith at least partly solved as sleuths figure out its location".
- ^ a b c "Monolith Height Measurements".
- ^ a b c "Monolith Width Measurements".
- ^ Scribner, Herb (November 25, 2020). "What is the Utah monolith?". Deseret News. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c Asmelash, Leah (24 November 2020). "Utah helicopter crew discovers mysterious metal monolith deep in the desert". CNN. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ a b c Yuhas, Alan (November 24, 2020). "A Weird Monolith Is Found in the Utah Desert". The New York Times. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- ^ a b Maffly, Brian (November 24, 2020). "Mysterious shiny monolith found in otherworldly Utah desert". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- ^ a b c Holpuch, Amanda (24 November 2020). "Helicopter pilot finds 'strange' monolith in remote part of Utah". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ Robertson, Adi (2020-11-24). "Even Utah's mysterious monolith may be no match for Google Earth". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
- ^ Panecasio, Steph (November 25, 2020). "Mysterious monolith puzzle has been solved by internet sleuths". CNET. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "Utah monolith already attracting crowds – locals worried about people's safety and damage to the land". 3 KSN. Nexstar. November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- ^ Was a Mysterious Monolith Found in Utah? DAN EVON, Snopes, 24 NOVEMBER 2020
- ^ Smith, Tracy (November 25, 2020). "NEW VIDEO: Mysterious Monolith – Diesel Brothers Dave Sparks discovers the location". ABC4. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
