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Examination of a Patterned Anomaly in Wheat N. A. Reiter Background: On the 17th of July, I was contacted by Nancy Talbott of BLT Research Inc. who informed me that a peculiar rectangular "crop circle" formation in a mature wheat field had been found near the village of Bowersville, Greene County, in southwestern Ohio. The landowner had given permission for BLT Research and affiliates to examine the formation before it was harvested. Initially, Pat Mason of Perry County had volunteered to drive to the formation to do initial sampling and photography. However, Pat suffered an automobile breakdown en-route on Monday the 18th, and did not make it to Bowersville. Nancy had also called in Joanne Scarpellini from Missouri, one of BLT's primary U.S. field investigators. By mid-week, Joanne spent two days at the formation, and completed the usual BLT field protocol, with soil and crop sampling. I was unable to make the trip to Bowersville until Saturday, the 23rdof July. On that day, I had previously planned to be in the area anyway, performing some historical and paranormal investigation at a home in Urbana, Ohio. In the interim period, Nancy had informed the landowner, "Mister B" that I would be arriving on that day, on BLT's behalf. My objective would be to make a survey of the location with additional instrumentation, and obtain extra soil and seed samples for testing. Summary of Examination: In late afternoon, I drove from Urbana to Bowersville. Accompanying me was one of my hosts for the day's earlier research activities, Mrs. Holli Gomes, and her teenage son Brayden. Both Holli and Brayden looked forward to the novelty of the excursion, and the chance to help out with an admittedly unusual matter. We arrived at the location about 19:00 EST. Mister B met us and directed us into the wheat field where the formation lay. The early evening was mostly clear and hot, with some clouds moving in from the west. Mr. B recounted his story to us, as he had previously to BLT. The mysterious rectangle had been discovered during combining on the afternoon of the 5th of July, and had definitely not been there on the 2nd of July. The balance of the wheat field had been harvested earlier however the unusual rectangular patch had not been disturbed except for one initial partial swath of the cutter bar when the formation had been discovered. As noted previously by N. Talbott and J. Scarpellini, the patch was indeed a rectangle near the edge of the field. Its southern edge lay four rows in from the true field edge, and a narrow grassy lane or path. The northern edge of the rectangle was sharply delineated at row number 61. East and west ends were somewhat uneven, widening slightly to the north. Rows within the formation were E-W. The criss-crossed laid-over rows of wheat to the southern half of the patch were more difficult to assess. To the northern end, the lay was tidier and flatter, and the sequence of lay-over was easy to see. J. Scarpellini reports that as one moved away from the northern edge, three other distinct sequences of layering were noted. It appeared to us as though the alternating angled lay of the crop had been initiated at the southern edge, and progressed north. The angle of the wheat stalks appeared to lie between 35 and 45 degrees to the axis of a given row. Direction of lay alternated with each row, with the final northernmost row laid in an angle to the south. Because wheat grows in clusters or clumps, the "weave" motif was accentuated and took on a checkerboard or basket weave appearance. The wheat stalks were typically (in about 95% of the area examined) crimped or bent at no more than 1 to 1.5 inches from the ground. Most were bent at near ground level. We tried to evaluate whether crimps or stress mid-stalk could be noted, from footsteps of a human circle-makers. However, too much time had elapsed, and several parties had by then already entered the patch. Mister B claimed that upon his discovering the formation, he had not found any obvious footprints either in the patch, near it, or in the grassy lane to the south. In some adjacent stubble, I attempted to duplicate a similar crimp with my boot, and succeeded with ease. Thus it would seem likely that either a mechanical moment applied low to the earth, or a force applied evenly to the whole stalk would have been needed to lay the wheat over in such fashion. Obviously, the first - while more mundane - would seem likelier. While examining the patch with our instruments, we were paid a visit by B's neighbor who recounted his story of observing an odd, small, luminous cloud over the area on the day B discovered the downed patch. This account had been duly recorded and noted by J. Scarpellini and N. Talbott, and is reported in greater detail on the BLT Research site. A number of small instruments were walked through the patch and adjacent areas of the field, and the mostly negative results were recorded. Following this, a limited number of soil samples were procured with the help of Brayden Gomes for future magnetic extraction and chemical analysis. We departed from the area by 20:30. Four photos taken by us are below.
Summary of Sampling: Soil samples were obtained by J. Scarpellini for BLT mycorrhizal fungi testing. Additionally, some plant and seed sampling was done, and an initial assessment of node deformation was made. BLT reports that no apparent significant node deformation was observed in the formation, however the wheat had been at full maturity and dryness when the event occurred; thus we would not be overly surprised. We ourselves obtained a second set of soil samples for some simple ferromagnetic extraction, and possible chemical analysis. Results are discussed in the following section of this paper. Sampling locations (eight total) are shown thus:
We also obtained a few seed heads from the downed wheat, as well as perhaps 20 count of seed from a nearby field region (control) for some simple sprouting tests to be conducted as time permits. Soil Analysis: The eight samples we procured were dried and run through our standardized protocol for determining relative ferromagnetic content. Results will be added to the extensive database being compiled for BLT Research to facilitate verifying claims of unusual magnetic soil properties in crop circle cases. The primarily clay soil of both control and downed regions was fairly low in magnetic content, compared to other locations around the US and Canada. A short tabular form of the raw data is shown thus: Bowersville Magnetic Extraction
As may be seen, there seems to be no compelling evidence for enhanced magnetic particle content in the downed patch as compared to the control points. The average content for control areas was slightly higher than the average value for the formation. Results of any chemical analysis of the samples will be reported pending such testing. Physical Anomalies: Our Anton Electronics Geiger counter was walked around the downed patch as well as nearby and distant field areas. Local background radioactivity (GM window pointed at 45 degree angle to ground, typically) ranged between 50 and 120 cpm. No significant changes in this value related to position in or out of the formation were noted. We used our Hall Effect magnetometer to look for any noticeable distortions in the background geomagnetic field. None were noted within the meaningful range of the instrument (approximately .01 gauss, or 1/50th of earth's typical field) A Holaday Industries Inc. microwave energy probe (weighted for 2.45 GHz) showed no noticeable deflection in the downed patch. No unusual "electronic" influences were noted either with an Etrex GPS or a Motorola cell phone. Subjective Impressions: While standing near to and walking beside the formation, Holli Gomes developed a strong headache and a metallic taste in her mouth. This subsided by the time we were perhaps 20 minutes away from the farm, after leaving. Discussion and Speculation: The formation near Bowersville, while not an ornate or dramatic sort of crop anomaly, displayed for us once again one of the attributes that Avalon Foundation research has come to consider as key to the crop circle phenomenon: the factor of improbability as opposed to impossibility. It was clear to us that the layover of the wheat rows could indeed be attributed to a simple mechanical force or moment; be it by foot, wind, or padded mechanical lever arm. This combined with the lack of any unusual residual forces (radioactivity, EM, acoustic) and unusual effects on plants or soil, would prompt us to say that it was likely made by either a freak natural, or an artificial directed mechanical force. (As distinguished from some novel electro-dynamic or "unusual" force) The reversed angles of the wheat stalk layover dictate a row by row reversal of force vectors, and possibly sequencing between wheat clumps in two rows at once. This seems to be quite an unlikely feat for any known natural mechanical force such as wind or soil shifting. Unlike at least one Ohio incident in the past where whole root-bound rows of overcrowded sweet corn crop lay over in semi-contiguous fashion, the character of the crimped wheat stalks implies a far more direct and carefully intended force, acting above ground level, as opposed to a root-soil interface fulcrum. Therefore, a natural cause seems far less likely to us than an artificial source of mechanical moment. The story of Mister B's neighbor with respect to the strange cloud sighting, as well as Mr. B's claim that his dog acted peculiarly in the days after the discovery of the formation cannot be disregarded, although they remain circumstantial and anecdotal clues, without any means of empirical validation- much the same as Mrs. Gomes' sensory reactions and Mister B's claim of being unable to find footprints. We thus must place the greater likelihood on the notion that the patch was made in a carefully engineered fashion by human participants. This however is where the aforementioned factor of "improbability" comes in. In the view of The Avalon Foundation, every crop circle of an unknown but likely artificial origin must be honorably treated as a crime in need of solving. (However metaphysically rationalized it may be in the eyes of some crop circle aficionados) In this case, if we consider that the most likely explanation is that of someone pushing over wheat rows in an engineered geometry, then we are confronted with a lack of a solid motive - as well as the unlikelihood that a group of people could make the patch in a short enough time to avoid detection by Mister B, his dog, or the neighbors. A human party intent on making a crop formation as either a festive hoax or as a part of a full outdoor magical operation would have likely sought to generate a far more elaborate design, unless such was their intent, and the circle-makers were scared away prematurely by a neighbor or dog. Yet on the other hand, why would a circle-maker or group trying out a new technique or tool for later use go to the time, trouble, and risk of making such a large patch formation? A few obscure rows at the edge of a woods or fence would likely go un-noticed by anyone, and thus better preserve the "mysterious" and surprising new technique for a better public unveiling in a full grandiose work at the right time. As a part of Avalon's recent exploration of the possibility that some crop circle events are the work of ritual magicians, we examined the area of the Bowersville event for alignments useful to an occultist in outdoor temple work. No immediately recognizable horizon alignments were noted, nor do there seem to be any publicly recognized Native sacred sites or mounds within perhaps five miles of the location. However we DO note one longer distance alignment that may be worth mentioning. We find that the site of the Bowersville wheat formation lies within a few seconds of latitude of an east-west line connecting Miamisburg Mound to the west, and Circleville to the east. In the case of the latter, the town of Circleville has long been known to have been built on an extended ceremonial mound and earthwork complex, that fact giving the town its name: Miamisburg Mound: 39d 37' 24.36" N 84d 16' 42.11" W Admittedly, it is a very tenuous speculation that the wheat patch event was made with specific intent on a long distance alignment between two ancient Ohio sacred sites. However, this is a tool - occult alignment analysis - we will continue to consider and evaluate as more cases of cereal crop formations come to our attention. We will as well be keeping our eyes peeled for the 2006 "crop circle season" in southwestern Ohio. Should any formations occur in wheat with a herringbone weave pattern, we might be inclined to suspect the Bowersville event was a "practice run." We shall see... In closing, it is the opinion of the Avalon Foundation that the Bowersville wheat event was most likely an artificial and human engineered construction, but one for which an intention and perpetrator remain completely unknown. |
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