A mysterious metal monolith was discovered in California on Wednesday, about two weeks after a similar shiny column was found in a Utah dessert.
According to the Atascadero News, the latest structure was spotted atop Atascadero's Pine Mountain in San Luis Obispo County. Reporter/photographer Luke Phillips shared photos of the structure, which reportedly attracted dozens of curious hikers throughout the day. It's unclear when the monolith was placed on the mountain, but it was first reported early Wednesday.
Atascadero News reports the three-sided monolith stands about 10-feet tall and is 18 inches wide. Observers believe it is made from stainless steel, and noted it "was welded together at each corner, with rivets attaching the side panels to a likely steel frame inside." The object, which appears to be hallow at the top, wasn't attached to the ground, unlike the original structure in Utah.
The sightings have caused a lot of buzz across social media, as the monoliths' creator[s] have yet to come forward. Many have speculated that the obelisks are part of some kind of marketing campaign, or perhaps the work of minimalist sculptor John McCracken, who died nearly a decade ago.
Another monolith appeared and quickly disappeared in Romania this past week; however, it was noted that the Romania structure was quite different from those discovered in Utah and California—both in size and material.
The original structure vanished after it was reportedly dismantled by four unidentified men. As pointed out by the New York Times, Colorado photographer Ross Bernards claimed he had witnessed the group of guys take down the Utah object on Friday night.
"'You better have got your pictures,'" Bernards recalled one of the men saying. "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.'"
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