In the middle of rural Elbert County, Georgia, a large granite monument lays out a series of multi-lingual instructions for rebuilding civilization after an apocalypse. And despite the fact that the prophetic words on this structure are just over 40 years old, the creepiest part might be the fact that no one knows exactly who wrote them or why.
Part Stonehenge, part Ten Commandments, the Georgia Guidestones were unveiled on March 22, 1980, and have been called everything from “a stirring call to rational thinking” to just plain Satanic. The author’s name, R.C. Christian, is said to be a pseudonym, while the people who paid for its development were “a small group of Americans who seek the Age of Reason,” but their identities were very carefully shrouded even after all these years.
The structure is made up of four vertical granite slabs, each weighing over 42,000 lbs each, a center stone that weighs over 20,000 lbs, and a 24,000-lbs capstone on top. The formation of the stones not only displays ten principles in eight different languages, but the structure itself also acts as a clock, calendar, and compass.
The main message of the ten guidelines includes everything from population control to advice on maintaining laws to the importance of respecting nature, but some have interpreted the inscriptions in different ways. Regardless of the message, it’s clear that this passion project was meant to outlast the worst of disasters.
If you’d be interested in checking out the guidestones for yourself, they’re completely free to visit day or night at 1031 Guide Stones Road in Elberton, Georgia, USA.
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