The past few weeks have seen people around the world left mystified by the discovery of several metal monoliths that have popped up in countries across the world. It would seem that the latest one to be discovered has found it’s (temporary) home in the lowlands, after walkers discovered one in Friesland on Sunday morning. 

Confusing the world one monolith at a time

The first monolith was discovered by a helicopter pilot in the middle of the desert in Utah back in November. At the time, the pilot noted the similarity between this monolith and the ones seen in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, however, he was adamant that this one was man-made. After a few days, the monolith was removed by a group of people who feared that people coming to get a glimpse of the strange metal pillar would eventually ruin the local environment. 

Not long after the one in Utah, a second one appeared on a mountain top in northern Romania. However, unlike its predecessor, this one was criticised for its poor finish, with a local journalist saying it was clearly made by a bad welder. After only four days, this one also disappeared. 

A third one then appeared atop a mountain in California before being removed and replaced by a large cross by a group of locals after only a few days. Then, over the weekend, a fourth one was allegedly discovered in Colombia. 

Fifth (and final?) monolith discovered in the Netherlands!

Now, a fifth one has popped up in a nature reserve in Friesland, in the north of the Netherlands, and was discovered on Sunday, December 6. However, this one appears to be made out of a different material, and unlike its predecessors is matte instead of shiny. Witnesses noted that there were no footprints to be seen around the monolith, and - like the other four - it looked as though it simply dropped from the sky. 

But where do these metal pillars come from? Well, no one seems to know. Some think it might be a publicity stunt for a film or an event, while others believe it is the move of some international collective of artists. Or, of course, it could be aliens - 2020 has certainly been strange, so is anything surprising anymore? Hopefully one day this mystery will be solved.

Thumb: Jan Hofdijk