Don’t you love Internet mysteries that keep on going? One such Mystery on the internet is the Lake Michigan Stonehenge. Stonehenge in Lake Michigan? Sounds strange, do they not?
Stonehenge is one of the most prehistoric man-made monuments that we humans know about today; they are located in the United Kingdom. So how is it that the structures are found almost an ocean across the UK, in the United States?
If that was not enough to intrigue you, question yourself this, how can such a structure be found Under-Water? Yes, that is right, the Stonehenge found is located under Lake Michigan’s water, not on land near the lake!
The mystery surrounding lake Michigan Stonehenge had prevailed since 2007 when a team of underwater archaeologists discovered Stonehenge. Even more than a decade later, we are still no closer to answers to this fascinating mystery.
The mysterious Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of the United States of America. It is a freshwater lake and is the only great lake located just in the United States and not extended to Canada.
Lake Michigan Stonehenge: A Stunning Spectacle
In 2007 Mark Holley, a researcher and professor at Northwestern University Michigan led a radio scan of Lake Michigan to identify and maybe research some old shipwrecks.
He found a Car, and some shipwrecks predated the Civil War era. This was in itself a big accomplishment. But what he found on further exploration was something but greater than a Hull of an old sail ship from the Civil-Wars.
He did not think that he would come across a Structure eerily similar to the Stonehenge found in the UK.
Not in the sense that they were 12 feet tall majestic stones. In Fact, the stones are found under 12 feet of water and were not that tall. What makes them like the Stonehenge is that they are arranged in a manner that suggests that they are a man-made structure.
The Stone structures found have been dubbed as the “Lake Michigan Stonehenge,” even though they are not large enough to be called stone henges. The Structure of stone is made up of 3.5 to 4 feet high stone, which at most are 5 feet long.
The Stonehenge could easily be 9000 years old, but what would be the fun in the mystery if it were that simple to figure out.
Read more about animals found in pre-historic times by clicking here.
How Old Could The Lake Michigan Stonehenges Be?
As mentioned earlier, Radiocarbon dating of the Lake Michigan Stonehenge shows that the structure can be 9000 years old. Still, some other discoveries have left scientists and experts questioning if that truly is the case.
One of the Stonehenge has a Mastodon-like structure hand carved into the stone. Now the Mastodon is an animal that had gone extinct in 8000 AC or 10,000 years ago.
Humans would not have been a witness to Mastodon, so how is it that the structure is hand carved into the stone when it was extinct by the time man would have made the Stonehenge.
Click here to read more about the Ice Age.
The Plot Thickens.
If that was not enough of a mystery, then one more question shall surely leave you thinking about the lake Michigan Stonehenge.
You see, it is believed that the structure is man-made. To support this is the fact that no natural formation of stones would have such a measured placing of the stones, and neither would the stone have such a finely carved structure of Mastodon.
But Lake Michigan has existed since after the Ice age. So it goes on to question how did humans of that time even place the structure underwater.
This could only mean one thing: the structure was designed and built by humans before the Ice age. Before the Ice age, the Lakebed had been dry. You would say, well, that is quite possible, right!
Only it’s not.
A structure as complex as the lake Michigan Stonehenge was not ever built before the Ice Age.
Humans were not as accomplished at the time to be able to design such a structure, let alone build it. They had no means nor tools. So how is it possible that a structure which typically would be placed well after the Ice age in human history be placed underwater or be placed there before the Ice age?
The Mystery surrounding the lake Michigan Stonehenge has been one which has been on the internet for a long time, and every six months or years or so, the mystery is taken up again.
Facts About the Lake Michigan Stonehenge.
While most of it is speculation, some facts are for sure true about these stone henges.
One that the structure has a placement of stones in a circle, in a precise and measured manner which could only be done by man.
Second is that the carving of a Mastodon found on one of the stones is very surely man-carved; the carving lines have been carved using tools that would have been difficult to procure Pre-Ice Age.
The third is that the stone henges are for sure more than 9000 years old as the radiocarbon dating has shown, but exactly how much older could they be, that is a mystery for you all to solve.
Lastly is that the structure is a scientific discovery that, if researched properly, could give many outlooks on the unknown parts of human history.
The Stone Structure
The stone structure in itself is a fascinating finding if you leave all the mysteries behind.
The radio scans of Lake Michigan showed some form structures formed, after which an underwater expedition was organized with Mark Holley’s team along with the underwater photographer Chris Doyle.
The Structure is situated some 12 feet under the water of Lake Michigan. It was in this underwater expedition that the stone with the carvings was discovered.
The stone henges’ exact location has been kept under wraps so that the site will not be disturbed by local or far away tourists.
The researchers at Northwestern University wanted to further Research the lake Michigan Stonehenge, but due to lack of funds, the research has been stuck at one point.
Of course, other researchers in this area have wanted to look at the structure to determine exactly which era the structure belongs to, but the big problem is that most researchers are not divers.
This puts a big stop on any research opportunities that may arise, which is part of the reason why so little is known about such a magnificent scientific discovery.
Other Stonehenge-Type Discoveries.
After these structures were unearthed from under Lake Michigan, people nearby also started to look out for signs of other such structures in the surrounding area.
One such research led to the findings of stone circles, which are located nearby in the beaver islands. The stone circles are also man-made structures. Some have holes in them, while others have lines drawn on them.
If that was not enough, then know that one more such underwater expedition has shown similar structures found under Lake Huron, which is in Canada. But what is interesting is that Lake Huron is connected to Lake Michigan through Lake Superior, another one of the great lakes of the USA.
Since Lake Michigan is connected to Lake Huron Strait of Mackinac through the Mississippi River system-the canal of Chicago-Lockport, Hydrographycally speaking, the Water system of these two Lakes is the same even if they are deemed as different lakes geographically.
This further debates the civilization that might have lived in the North American area, pre-ice age. Because the water systems are some, it is assumed that the civilization which must have resided in the area must have lived in this part of Canada and the United States of America.
Those are not the only findings of the prehistoric era found around the great lakes; many other ‘sacred-stones’ and Ice Age-era molds have been discovered in the area by the first British colonizers. Along with this, other petroglyphs have also been found time and time again.
A few years back, Professor Mark Holleyandh, his research team of underwater archaeologist and expert divers went back to the site for another exploratory expedition, which led to another hand-made carving to be discovered on another boulder. As it is the site is still under wraps as the local Indian Tribes wished that the site remain unknown to the public for the fear of tourist influx in the area.
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While it has been more than a decade since the Lake Michigan Stonehenge was first discovered, the structures have not yet lost their aura of mystery. Much could be found by getting a proper chance to study these structures about Prehistoric Human civilizations.
The need for scientists and experts to research more on these is great to find some answers to the questions that arise due to the placement and design of the stone structures. All that can be said with certainty is about the Lake Michigan Stonehenge is that it is a human anomaly that needs to be studied further for more concert answers.
Last Updated on by Sathi
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