Crop circle
A crop circle is a fascinating phenomenon characterized by intricate designs formed by flattening stalks of grain in circular or geometric patterns within agricultural fields. Typically ranging from a few inches to hundreds of feet in diameter, these patterns have captured public interest since their emergence in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the English countryside. Initially linked to reports of UFO sightings and extraterrestrial activity, the mystery surrounding crop circles has led to various interpretations, including beliefs in mystical or paranormal origins.
Despite significant attention and claims of otherworldly creation, a prominent hoax was revealed in 1991 when two individuals confessed to creating many of the circles as a prank. This admission has not entirely swayed the views of enthusiasts, known as cereologists, who continue to believe in their mysterious origins. In recent years, crop circles have evolved into more complex shapes and designs, often made overnight and without witnesses. While much of the scientific community acknowledges human involvement in their creation, the allure and intrigue of crop circles persist, making them a unique blend of art, folklore, and modern mystery.
On this Page
Crop circle
A crop circle is an intricate design created in farmers' fields by flattening stalks of grain in circular or geometric patterns. The designs, which range from several inches to hundreds of feet across, are made without damaging the crops and seemingly without human involvement. The first crop circles are said to have been identified in Australia in the 1960s, but they became a phenomenon in the 1970s and 1980s when the designs began appearing in the English countryside. The patterns became associated with extraterrestrial life, and some thought they were landing sites of alien spaceships. In the early 1990s, a pair of hoaxers admitted that they were responsible for creating many of the crop circles as a joke. Patterns in other parts of the world were also attributed to human circle makers. Despite these admissions and evidence to the contrary, believers still maintain the designs are the work of alien or mystical forces.
Background
Before the 1960s, historical reports of patterns made in crops were rare. English folklore from the seventeenth century describes a creature known as a mowing devil that was said to have carved circular shapes in a farmer's field. While some claim this to be the first recorded evidence of a crop circle, most researchers believe it is nothing more than a tall tale. In 1880, a report in the journal Nature described a field near Guildford, southern England, that had been "knocked about" in patches resembling a circle. Sporadic accounts of strange crop patterns turned up in the following decades, but none were attributed to mysterious forces.
In 1966, a farmer in Tully, Queensland, Australia, claimed to have seen an unidentified flying object (UFO) take off from a swampy area and fly away, leaving behind a circular area of flattened grass and reeds. Despite the authorities attributing the sighting to natural phenomena, the story began circulating as a report of a flying saucer "nest."
By the mid-1970s, reports of strange circular patterns in farm fields began appearing across the United Kingdom, but none of the designs were photographed. Then, in 1980, a farmer in Wiltshire County, England, discovered three sixty-foot circles in his oat field and reported the incident. The local media took notice, and soon, the story had attracted worldwide attention. Adding to the mystery of the circles was that Wiltshire County was home to several UFO sightings. It was also the location of Stonehenge, a Neolithic stone monument thought to contain mystical powers by many adherents of New Age beliefs.
Overview
By the mid-1980s and early 1990s, hundreds of crop circles began appearing in fields across England and worldwide. As the phenomena gained attention, the patterns became more elaborate, incorporating multiple circles and intricate geometric designs. They also began attracting scores of tourists. Believers in UFOs saw the patterns as evidence of landings by extraterrestrial visitors or the possible aftereffects of alien energy beams. Others attributed the circles to more mystical causes, such as psychic powers emanating from Earth, changes in the planet's magnetic fields, or a warning from an angry deity. Still other theories suggested that the designs were made by top-secret government weapons tests, rare meteorological conditions, or even the mating habits of hedgehogs.
In 1991, two British men, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley, came forward and admitted to creating many of the English crop circles. Bower and Chorley claimed that they were inspired by the 1966 incident in Australia and began making the circles in 1976 as a prank. The men said they created more than two hundred crop patterns using only two boards tied to their feet and a piece of string attached to a baseball cap to keep the designs straight. Despite the men's confession, many crop circle enthusiasts—known as cereologists or croppies—continued to believe in the otherworldly origins of the patterns. They maintained that the worldwide nature of the phenomena was too much for a pair of hoaxers to achieve. Skeptics argued that the men's actions had inspired multiple copycat artists.
No matter their true origin, crop circles continued to be produced into the twenty-first century. They remained common, especially in southern England. They evolved into more complex shapes, such as labyrinths, symbols from ancient civilizations, and pictograms resembling hummingbirds and smiling faces. In some cases, the patterns also contained hidden mathematical equations. A common feature of the crop designs was that the plant stalks were not broken. The crops were bent in a swirling pattern and would continue to grow normally if left alone. The designs were almost exclusively created overnight and without being observed by humans or recorded by cameras—except in cases where artists filmed their own handiwork. Another common element in crop circles was that they were usually made close to roads and highways.
It is widely accepted in the scientific community that the crop patterns are the work of humans. A team of people who have carefully chosen a location and design produce crop circles. They may have used computer software or fractal design to produce the pattern. They venture out at night and may follow existing tracks made by farm equipment to hide evidence of human involvement. The circle makers use a string, tape, or even a Global Positioning System (GPS) device to precisely map out their designs in the field. Then, using a garden roller or wooden board fastened around their shoulder with rope, the designers stomp out the pattern in a circular motion, folding the plant stalks into a distinctive uniform shape. Some circle makers add an artistic touch to their work, creating smaller circles outside the main design or manipulating the stalks in certain places as a type of "signature." A few crop artists have even transformed their work into a business, creating elaborate designs that can cost upwards of a few hundred thousand dollars to produce.
Bibliography
Glickman, Michael. Crop Circles: The Bones of God. Frog Books, 2009.
Irving, Rob, and Peter Brookesmith. "Crop Circles: The Art of the Hoax." Smithsonian, 15 Dec. 2009, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/crop-circles-the-art-of-the-hoax-2524283. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Jani, Louis, and Richard Gray. "Crop Circles Demystified: How the Patterns Are Created." Telegraph, 2 Aug. 2013, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/10217151/Crop-circles-demystified-how-the-patterns-are-created.html. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Jenkins, David. "Crop Circle Conundrum." Telegraph, 25 Aug. 2010, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/7955868/Crop-circle-conundrum.html. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Pappas, Stephanie. “Crop Circles: Myth, Theories and History.” Live Science, 15 Nov. 2022, www.livescience.com/26540-crop-circles.html. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Parry, Wynne. "Crop-Circle Artists Becoming High Tech." Live Science, 2 Aug. 2011, www.livescience.com/15353-crop-circle-artists-technology-physics-hoax.html. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Schmidt, William E. "2 'Jovial Con Men' Demystify Those Crop Circles in Britain." New York Times, 10 Sept. 1991, www.nytimes.com/1991/09/10/world/2-jovial-con-men-demystify-those-crop-circles-in-britain.html. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.
Stocking, Angus. “Land Surveying & Crop Circles.” The American Surveyor, 29 Jan. 2024, amerisurv.com/2024/01/29/land-surveying-crop-circles. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Watson, Stephanie. "How Crop Circles Work." How Stuff Works, 6 Sept. 2023, science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/unexplained-phenomena/crop-circle.htm. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Wilson, Peter. “Crop Circles Were Made by Supernatural Forces. Named Doug and Dave.” The New York Times, 12 June 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/06/12/style/crop-circles.html. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.