Topline
A hiker came across a large metal monolith near a small Welsh town Tuesday, according to multiple outlets, the latest discovery of a monolith in recent years that has once again sparked speculation about the strange structures’ origin.
Key Facts
Local builder Craig Muir saw the monolith while on a hike near the town of Hay-on-Wye, describing the upright block as being made of “a very fine metallic almost like a surgical steel,” according to the BBC.
Muir said he was “taken aback” by the sight of the object, saying it “looked like some sort of UFO” and noting the leveled and steady placement of the monolith despite windy weather, the Guardian reported.
The monolith was located atop a hill that couldn’t be accessed by a car—a placement that made Muir believe the object could have been placed by a group of people or a helicopter.
Muir suggested to the New York Times the monolith “could be some sort of art installation,” noting there were no visible tracks near it despite some footprints—though Muir said he wasn’t sure if another passerby had seen the monolith themselves.
The monolith had no obvious welding marks on it and had shiny, crisp edges, Muir told the Times.
What We Don’t Know
It’s unclear how heavy the monolith is, nor how deep it was placed into the ground, which appeared muddy in photos taken by Muir. No person or collectives have taken credit for the object yet.
Key Background
The monolith is one of several similar objects that have appeared throughout the world in the last four years. In 2020, monoliths were found in Utah, California, New Mexico, Romania and the Isle of Wight. The Utah monolith was found by people onboard a helicopter in a remote part of the state. The triangular prism was also about 10 feet tall and was eventually removed by an “unknown party,” according to a statement from the federal Bureau of Land Management’s Utah office. An artist collective known as The Most Famous Artist took credit for the monoliths in Utah, Romania and the U.K.
Further Reading
A ‘Perfect Monolith’ Appears in Wales (NYT)
An artist collective says it is selling monoliths for $45,000, causing speculation that it created the bizarre phenomenon (Business Insider)