ELBERTON, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking for answers after part of a stone monument was destroyed in an explosion.

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One of the 19-foot-tall granite monument’s four pillars was reduced to rubble, and agents told WSB-TV that they found evidence of an explosion at the scene.

The Georgia Guidestones, often referred to as “American Stonehenge,” was erected in 1980 and works as a compass, calendar and clock. The rock slabs are inscribed with eight modern languages and are astronomically aligned in a way that allows a ray of sun to filter through and shine a beam on a center stone indicating the day of the year, WSB-TV reported.

The man who designed the project gave a pseudonym and said he was associated with a group that wished to remain anonymous. They described themselves as a “small group of loyal Americans who believe in God” and wanted to “leave a message for future generations,” according to the Elbert County Chamber of Commerce.

The people who funded the Georgia Guidestones have never been identified, and the monument has been the source of speculation and conspiracy theories for 40 years. The monument was privately funded but sits on state-owned land, WSB-TV reported.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has not identified any suspects or said what charges they would face.

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