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The DPS released a statement quoting [[Bureau of Land Management]] (BLM) regulations that it is illegal to install structures (including [[art]]), on public lands without permission, "no matter what planet you're from".<ref name=cnn-utah-monolith-art-trnd/><ref name=DPS/>
The DPS released a statement quoting [[Bureau of Land Management]] (BLM) regulations that it is illegal to install structures (including [[art]]), on public lands without permission, "no matter what planet you're from".<ref name=cnn-utah-monolith-art-trnd/><ref name=DPS/>


The [[Utah Department of Heritage & Arts]] said in a statement on their [[Twitter]] feed that the monolith is vandalism, and are concerned about damage to ancient artwork and archeological artifacts in the region.<ref name="Mysterious monolith disappears">{{cite news |last1=Leonard |first1=Wendy |title=Mysterious monolith disappears from remote southeast Utah desert |url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/11/28/21724530/news-monolith-mystery-disappears-from-remote-desert-southeast-utah-blm |access-date=November 28, 2020 |work=Deseret News |date=November 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name=UHA>{{cite website | url=https://mobile.twitter.com/UTHeritageArts/status/1332511093520953344 | website=Utah Department of Heritage & Arts | date=28 November 2020 | accessdate=28 November 2020 | title=Utah monolith: Twitter}}</ref>
The Utah Department of Heritage & Arts said in a statement on their [[Twitter]] feed that the monolith is vandalism, and are concerned about damage to ancient artwork and archeological artifacts in the region.<ref name="Mysterious monolith disappears">{{cite news |last1=Leonard |first1=Wendy |title=Mysterious monolith disappears from remote southeast Utah desert |url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/11/28/21724530/news-monolith-mystery-disappears-from-remote-desert-southeast-utah-blm |access-date=November 28, 2020 |work=Deseret News |date=November 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name=UHA>{{cite website | url=https://mobile.twitter.com/UTHeritageArts/status/1332511093520953344 | website=Utah Department of Heritage & Arts | date=28 November 2020 | accessdate=28 November 2020 | title=Utah monolith: Twitter}}</ref>
{{quote|The #UtahMonolith has prompted discussions about public art and inspired people to visit the site, despite efforts to keep it secret. Our department includes @UT_Indian @UTHistory @UtahArtsMuseums, and we want to raise a couple of important points. [...]
{{quote|The #UtahMonolith has prompted discussions about public art and inspired people to visit the site, despite efforts to keep it secret. Our department includes @UT_Indian @UTHistory @UtahArtsMuseums, and we want to raise a couple of important points. [...]


Revision as of 17:19, 2 December 2020

Utah monolith
A metallic pillar with rectangular sides in a sandstone canyon
The monolith
Map
Location where the monolith was found
ArtistUnknown
Year2016
TypeMetal sculpture
Mediumaluminium (assumed)
Dimensions291 cm × 58 cm × 58 cm (114.5 in × 23.0 in × 23.0 in)[1]
Conditionunknown (missing)
Locationformerly Lockhart Basin in San Juan County, Utah, United States; 17 miles (27 km) southwest of Moab
Coordinates38°20′35.08″N 109°39′58.26″W / 38.3430778°N 109.6661833°W / 38.3430778; -109.6661833

The Utah monolith was a non-magnetic metallic pillar that stood for about four years in a red sandstone slot canyon in northern San Juan County, Utah. The 9.5-foot (3 m) tall structure was made of metal sheets riveted together into the shape of a triangular prism. It was unlawfully placed on public land between July and October 2016. In November 2020, state biologists discovered it during a helicopter survey of wild bighorn sheep.

Within days, members of the public found the monolith using GPS mapping software and made their way to the remote location. The identity and objectives of who made the monolith remain unknown, though not without speculation. Following intense media coverage of the monolith whose "mystery captivated the country", it was covertly removed days later by an unknown party of four men.[2][3]

Discovery

On November 18, 2020, state biologists of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources were in southeastern Utah carrying out a survey of bighorn sheep from a helicopter when one of the biologists spotted the structure and told the pilot, Bret Hutchings, to fly over the location again.[4] Hutchings described the moment:[5]

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 noted that the object appeared man-made, and was "planted" in the ground instead of being dropped from the sky.[5]

On November 20, the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) posted a photo of the pillar on Instagram.[6] On November 23, the DPS released videos and photographs of the object, but not its exact location, on their website saying: "DPS Aero Bureau Encounters Monolith in Red Rock Country".[7]

Location and dating

Petroglyphs of bighorn sheep near Moab, Utah.

The monolith was installed by unknown person(s) in a red sandstone slot canyon in Lockhart Basin on public land that was removed in 2017 from Bears Ears National Monument (a protected area of Utah) by President Donald Trump.[8][9] The site has no public services such as parking, restrooms, cell phone service.[10]

The exact location of the monolith was not disclosed by the DPS to prevent people becoming lost while trying to find it.[5] Within hours of the DPS announcement, Reddit user Tim Slane had identified the object on Google Earth.[11] Slane compared the flight path of the state biologists' helicopter against the red-and-white sandstone terrain from their videos. Slane told The Verge that "he was aided by clues like the cliffs' height, the canyon's erosion pattern (indicating a more exposed area), and a flat floor suggesting it wasn't frequently flooded (and, by extension, was near the top of a watershed)". Google Earth satellite images showed that the monolith was installed between August 2015 and October 2016, and that surrounding scrub vegetation had been cleared.[12][13][14]

Dutch journalist Nouska du Saar, who specializes in open-source intelligence, used Maxar satellite images to determine that the monolith appeared between July 7, 2016 and October 21, 2016.[15][16]

Within 48 hours of the DPS announcement, members of the public had reached the site and uploaded photographs and videos of the monolith to social media.[17] Local business owners feared a surge in foot traffic could damage local Native American sites and artifacts.[18]

Description

The metal structure stood 9.5 feet (2.9 m) tall above the bedrock, with each of the sides being 23 inches (58 cm) wide.[1] A triangular prism,[8] it had three sides, was not magnetic, and appeared to be made of 1/8th inch stainless steel or aluminium sheets, joined with rivets, with a hollow interior.[19][20][21][22] There was silicon caulk or epoxy along the base, and striking the metal produced a dampened sound indicating some type of insulation inside.[23][24]

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."[22] Wendy Wischer of the University of Utah's School of Fine Art said, "One person alone could not have done it so there is a group of people who have some knowledge of it somewhere. Most artists want some recognition for what they are doing but this seems to include a level of humor and mystery as part of the intention".[17]

Use of the word "monolith"

On first discovering the pillar, the DPS described it as a monolith,[7] a term since repeated by other major media outlets.[25] Although the word monolith refers to a single great stone, the word has also become closely associated with the Monolith from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, to which the Utah monolith bears a circumstantial resemblance.[26][6] The pillar had blind rivets, suggesting a human origin.[27][19]

Attribution

The object was compared to works by artist John McCracken (1934–2011), who lived in the southwest desert, believed in the existence of extraterrestrials, and expressed an interest in leaving behind a piece of artwork in the desert.[26] The object resembled the metallic monoliths McCracken made, and was described as "nearly identical" to McCracken's Fair (2011) by New York gallery owner David Zwirner (who displays the work).[26] This statement was subsequently retracted by a Zwirner spokesman, who said that it was more likely created by another artist paying homage to McCracken.[28]

It was suggested that the monolith was the work of Petecia Le Fawnhawk, who has installed sculptures in desert locations and lived in Utah, but she said that it was not her work.[17] A builder of similar monoliths, Derek DeSpain, who "lives in Utah near where the new monolith was found", was also suggested as its creator, based on a screenshot of Instagram images by photographer Eliot Lee Hazel.[24]

The Utah Film Commission said that to their knowledge the monolith was not part of any film production.[19]

Legality

BLM photo captioned "vehicles parking on vegetation causing resource damage close to the site"

The DPS released a statement quoting Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations that it is illegal to install structures (including art), on public lands without permission, "no matter what planet you're from".[4][7]

The Utah Department of Heritage & Arts said in a statement on their Twitter feed that the monolith is vandalism, and are concerned about damage to ancient artwork and archeological artifacts in the region.[29][30]

The #UtahMonolith has prompted discussions about public art and inspired people to visit the site, despite efforts to keep it secret. Our department includes @UT_Indian @UTHistory @UtahArtsMuseums, and we want to raise a couple of important points. [...]

First, debates about #UtahMonolith as artistic statement shouldn’t equate it with rock art. This piece is a contemporary statement. Ancient petroglyphs, pictographs, and rock art are protected archaeological treasures with established cultural and historical significance.

While curiosity is understandable, we discourage visiting the monolith. Along with safety concerns, increased crowds threaten the archaeological resources in the area. Unintentional damage is still damage.

If you still choose to visit, please do not damage any rock art and don’t gather archaeological items such as arrowheads. Leave the area as undisturbed as possible.

Finally, while the monolith has better craftsmanship than graffiti, this is still vandalism. It irreversibly altered the natural environment on public lands. While the monolith is interesting, we cannot condone vandalism of any type.

— Utah Department of Heritage & Arts (28 November 2020)[30]

Removal

The site of the monolith following its removal, in a picture taken on November 28, 2020

The Utah division of the BLM said that it received credible reports that the monolith was removed on the evening of November 27, 2020, by an unknown party.[31] All that was left was a triangular metal piece that is speculated to be the top but looks more like it was the base that was against the ground below given the evidence on the plate and in the hole. Two people who hiked to the location near midnight, Riccardo Marino and Sierra Van Meter, reported seeing a pickup truck driving away from the site, carrying an object, as they approached.[32][33][34][35]

The following is an official statement by the Bureau of Land Management – Utah. The statement was posted to the agency Facebook page at 5:39 pm on November 28, 2020:[36]

We have received credible reports that the illegally installed structure, referred to as the “monolith” has been removed from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands by an unknown party. The BLM did not remove the structure which is considered private property. We do not investigate crimes involving private property which are handled by the local sheriff’s office. The structure has received international and national attention and we received reports that a person or group removed it on the evening of Nov. 27.

— Bureau of Land Management - Utah

Police in Utah clarified that they would not open an investigation into the removal and the local San Juan County Sheriff's Office said they could not devote the resources,[37] although the Sheriff's Office posted a "Most Wanted" "suspects" poster on their Facebook page.[38][2] Nonetheless, on November 30. 2020, the authorities reversed their initial decision, and planned a joint investigation with the Bureau of Land Management.[2]

More details (and pictures) about the dismantling and removal of the monolith by four men — which was witnessed by several adventure photographers (including Ross Bernards, Peter Jans, and Michael James Newlands) and posted on Instagram[39] — were reported in The New York Times on December 1, 2020.[2]

According to the Instagram post (November 30, 2020) by Ross Bernards:[39][2]

If you’re interested in what exactly happened to the monolith keep reading because I was literally there ... 4 guys rounded the corner and 2 of them walked forward. They gave a couple of pushes on the monolith and one of them said “You better have got your pictures.” He then gave it a big push, and it went over, leaning to one side. He yelled back to his other friends that they didn’t need the tools. The other guy with him at the monolith then said “this is why you don’t leave trash in the desert.” Then all four of them came up and pushed it almost to the ground on one side, before they decided push it back the other when it then popped out and landed on the ground with a loud bang. They quickly broke it apart and as they were carrying to the wheelbarrow that they had brought one of them looked back at us all and said “Leave no trace.”.

— Ross Bernards, Post (November 30, 2020), Instagram[39][2]

Contrary to earlier reports, Alan Freestone, chief deputy in San Juan County, stated to The New York Times on December 1 that, "I know they have some leads, and that's all we are saying right now."[2]

Coincident event in Romania

On November 26, 2020, a monolith, similar to the one found in Utah, was discovered in Romania[40] on Bâtca Doamnei Hill in the city of Piatra Neamț, near the historical Petrodava Dacian Fortress. The monolith was found on private property and was quoted as having been placed "illegally". The case is currently under investigation.[41]

Jurnal FM stated on November 27 that they had actually "received a mail containing a clip and some photos regarding a strange structure found on a hill," on the preceding Tuesday, notably prior to the disappearance of the Utah monolith.[42] The clip points out the structure's similarity to the Utah monolith, while also highlighting major differences in its reflective properties and texture. On November 29, Jurnal FM published an update that the monolith from Romania had also disappeared, mentioning that a "bright light" had been reported, though it did not provide a specific source for that report. "Locals thought the light came from a car, but the light pointed towards the sky. In the morning the place where the monolith stood erect was empty, only a faint imprint remains on the ground covered by snow."[43]

On December 1, a local newspaper, Ziar Piatra Neamt, confirmed to Reuters that the Romania monolith had disappeared. The paper made the additional claim that a "bad local welder" had "apparently" made the item, though that person's identity remains unknown.[44]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Richards, Jeff (25 November 2020). "Mystery of metal monolith at least partly solved as sleuths figure out its location". Saint George News. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Kovaleski, Serge F.; Solomon, Deborah; Rosenberg, Zoe (December 1, 2020). "Earthlings, It Seems, Not Aliens, Removed the Utah Monolith - A photographer said four men dismantled the mysterious shiny object that has captivated the country". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  3. ^ "Artist or aliens? Mystery surrounds Utah monolith's appearance and disappearance". NBC News. 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  4. ^ a b Asmelash, Leah (24 November 2020). "Utah helicopter crew discovers mysterious metal monolith deep in the desert". CNN. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Holpuch, Amanda (24 November 2020). "Helicopter pilot finds 'strange' monolith in remote part of Utah". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  6. ^ a b Was a Mysterious Monolith Found in Utah? Dan Evon, Snopes, 24 November 2020
  7. ^ a b c "DPS Aero Bureau Encounters Monolith in Red Rock Country". Utah Department of Public Safety. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "Mysterious Utah monolith's creator remains a secret, but its location no longer is". The Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  10. ^ "Monolith in Utah desert is gone". The Daily Sentinel. November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  11. ^ "Help me find this obelisk in remote Utah wilderness". Reddit. November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  12. ^ Robertson, Adi (2020-11-24). "Even Utah's mysterious monolith may be no match for Google Earth". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  13. ^ Panecasio, Steph (November 25, 2020). "Mysterious monolith puzzle has been solved by internet sleuths". CNET. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  14. ^ O'Donoghue, Amy Joi (November 25, 2020). "What will happen with mysterious shiny monolith found in otherworldly Utah desert?". Deseret News. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  15. ^ "Un "mystérieux monolithe de métal" dans le désert de l'Utah: quand est-il apparu? Et qui a bien pu l'installer là?". RTBF. November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  16. ^ Jabłonowski, Krzysztof (November 25, 2020). "Jak odnaleźć metalowy monolit na pustyni, nie wychodząc z domu - potencjał geolokalizacji". TVN24. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  17. ^ a b c Ponniah, Kevin; Nagesh, Ashitha (27 November 2020). "Utah monolith: Internet sleuths got there, but its origins are still a mystery". BBC News. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Utah monolith already attracting crowds – locals worried about people's safety and damage to the land". 3 KSN. Nexstar. November 25, 2020. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ Jensen, Erin (November 27, 2020). "'Hollow, riveted, not magnetic': Hikers discover location of Utah's mysterious monolith". USA Today. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  21. ^ Bryant, Miranda (November 27, 2020). "Visitors track down mystery desert monolith in Utah". The Guardian. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  22. ^ a b Smith, Tracy (November 25, 2020). "Mysterious Monolith – Diesel Brothers Dave Sparks discovers the location". ABC4. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  23. ^ Podmore, Zak; Maffly, Brian (27 November 2020). "Utah's mystery desert sculpture: art or graffito?". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  24. ^ a b Felton, James (November 27, 2020). "The Mystery Of The Utah Monolith May Have Been Solved By Internet Sleuths". IFLScience!. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  25. ^ Scribner, Herb (November 25, 2020). "What is the Utah monolith?". Deseret News. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  26. ^ a b c Deborah Solomon (November 27, 2020). "Did John McCracken Make That Monolith in Utah?". The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  27. ^ Britschgi, Christian. "Giant Metal Monolith Discovered In Utah Desert Possibly Extraterrestrial, Definitely a Code Violation". Reason. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  28. ^ Angeleti, Gabriella (24 November 2020). "Alien visitors or avant-garde installation? Mysterious monolith discovered in the Utah desert". www.theartnewspaper.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  29. ^ Leonard, Wendy (November 28, 2020). "Mysterious monolith disappears from remote southeast Utah desert". Deseret News. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  30. ^ a b "Utah monolith: Twitter". Utah Department of Heritage & Arts. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  31. ^ Gardiner, Jennifer (November 28, 2020). "Mysterious Utah Monolith disappears". ABC4. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  32. ^ Pietsch, Bryan (November 29, 2020). "That Mysterious Monolith in the Utah Desert? It's Gone, Officials Say – The metal structure has been removed, Utah officials said on Saturday, adding that they had not taken it down". The New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  33. ^ Rosenblatt, Kalhan (November 29, 2020). "Mysterious monolith in rural Utah has vanished, officials say – "We have received credible reports that the illegally installed structure, referred to as the 'monolith' has been removed," officials said in a statement". NBC News. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  34. ^ Tabin, Sara; Maffly, Brian; Podmore, Zak (November 28, 2020). "Utah's desert obelisk has disappeared". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 29 November 2020 suggested (help)
  35. ^ Evelyn, Kenya (29 November 2020). "Mystery metal monolith vanishes from Utah desert". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  36. ^ Alexander, Bryan. "Mysterious Utah monolith disappears from the desert, removed by 'unknown party'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  37. ^ AP in Salt Lake City (30 November 2020). "Police will not investigate disappearance of Utah mystery monolith". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  38. ^ Staff (November 29, 2020). "Facebook - Utah San Juan County Sheriff's Office - "Most Wanted" Poster of "Suspects"". Facebook - Utah San Juan County Sheriff's Office. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  39. ^ a b c Bernards, Ross (November 30, 2020). "Ross Bernard - Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  40. ^ Wells, David (November 30, 2020). "Mysterious monolith emerges in Romania after another disappears in Utah". Fox13Now. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  41. ^ "Mysterious Monolith Similar To One Found In Utah Appears On Romanian Hillside". LADbible. November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  42. ^ "Mysterious monolith discovered in Piatra Neamț - Romania". Jurnal FM. November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  43. ^ "Monolith Disappeared." Jurnal FM. November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  44. ^ "Another mysterious monolith has disappeared, in Romania". CNET. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.

External links

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Utah_monolith&diff=prev&oldid=991943364

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