Crop Circles: Natural Phenomenon, Human Art, or Something Else?

Crop circles — flattened geometric patterns appearing in fields of cereal crops — represent one of the most visually compelling and contentious phenomena in the study of unexplained events. They exist at a fascinating intersection of art, science, folklore, and mystery. While the majority of modern crop circles are demonstrably human-made, a core of cases exhibits characteristics that continue to puzzle researchers, and the phenomenon’s deeper history raises questions that simple hoaxing cannot fully answer.

Historical Origins

The Mowing-Devil of 1678

The earliest known visual depiction of a crop circle appears in a 1678 English woodcut pamphlet titled “The Mowing-Devil: Or, Strange News out of Hartford-shire.” The pamphlet describes a Hertfordshire farmer who, after a dispute over mowing costs with a laborer, declared he would rather the Devil himself mowed his oats. That night, the field reportedly appeared to be on fire, and by morning the oats had been cut in perfect circles — so precisely, the pamphlet states, “that no Mortal Man was able to do the like.”

While some researchers dismiss this as unrelated folklore, others note the striking parallels with modern crop circle reports: circular patterns, overnight appearance, and association with lights.

Pre-Modern Reports

Circular impressions in crops and grass were reported sporadically throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, often attributed to fairy rings, whirlwinds, or supernatural forces. In 1880, amateur scientist John Rand Capron wrote to the journal Nature describing circles found in a Surrey wheat field following a storm, attributing them to “some cyclonic wind action.” Similar reports appeared in Australia, Canada, and elsewhere through the early 20th century.

The Modern Era Begins (1970s-1980s)

The modern crop circle phenomenon is generally considered to have begun in the late 1970s in southern England, particularly in the counties of Hampshire and Wiltshire. Simple circles appeared in fields of wheat, barley, and oats, typically ranging from 20 to 60 feet in diameter. The formations grew in complexity through the 1980s, evolving from single circles to quintuplet patterns (a central circle with four satellites), ringed circles, and eventually the elaborate pictograms that captured worldwide media attention.

By the late 1980s, Wiltshire — particularly the area around Avebury, Silbury Hill, and the Alton Barnes White Horse — had established itself as the global epicenter of crop circle activity. This geographic concentration near ancient monuments and sacred sites fueled theories connecting the formations to Earth energies and ley lines.

The Bower and Chorley Confession

The Revelation

In September 1991, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley — two retired men from Southampton — came forward to claim responsibility for creating the majority of crop circles in southern England since 1978. They demonstrated their technique for journalists and television cameras, using simple tools: a wooden plank attached to a rope (a “stomper board”), a sighting wire attached to a baseball cap for maintaining straight lines, and garden rollers.

Bower said the idea came from reading about the 1966 Tully “saucer nest” in Queensland, Australia — a circular impression in a lagoon’s reeds attributed to a UFO. The pair decided to create their own circles as a prank, expecting to be discovered quickly. When they were not, and when the circles began generating theories about UFOs, Earth energies, and plasma vortices, they continued for over a decade.

Impact and Limitations

The Bower and Chorley confession deflated the crop circle phenomenon in the public mind, and many considered the mystery solved. However, their admission raised as many questions as it answered:

• They could not account for circles that appeared in other countries, often simultaneously with English formations
• The complexity of late-1980s and 1990s formations exceeded what two men with a plank could plausibly create in a single night
• Reports of crop circles predating their activities (including the historical records mentioned above) remained unexplained
• Physical anomalies found in some formations (discussed below) were not addressed.

The Art and Science of Circlemaking

The Human Circlemaking Community

Following Bower and Chorley’s revelation, a vibrant community of circlemakers emerged, particularly in England. Teams like Circlemakers (founded by John Lundberg, Rod Dickinson, and Wil Russell) elevated crop circle creation to an art form, producing increasingly elaborate designs and openly discussing their techniques while maintaining an ethos that preserved the mystery.

Modern circlemaking techniques include:

• Stomper boards: The basic tool — a plank with rope handles that flattens crop when stepped on
• Garden rollers: For larger areas of flattening
• Surveyor’s tape and poles: For accurate measurement
• GPS devices: Modern teams use GPS for precise positioning of design elements
• Laser pointers: For maintaining alignment across large distances in darkness.

Skilled teams can create remarkably complex designs in a single night (typically the short summer nights of June and July in England). However, even accomplished circlemakers acknowledge that some formations exhibit characteristics that puzzle them.

Mathematical Precision

Many crop formations display extraordinary mathematical properties:

• Fractal geometry: The 1996 Julia Set formation near Stonehenge consisted of 149 circles arranged in an Archimedean spiral, appearing to depict a mathematical Julia set. It was reportedly discovered by a pilot who had flown over the field 45 minutes earlier and seen nothing, though this account is disputed.
• Sacred geometry: Formations frequently incorporate principles of sacred geometry, including the Flower of Life, Vesica Piscis, and Golden Ratio proportions.
• Astronomical references: Some formations have been interpreted as representing solar system configurations, molecular structures, or astronomical events.
• Binary coding: The 2001 Chilbolton formation near the Chilbolton Observatory appeared to be a response to the 1974 Arecibo Message sent into space, rendered in a crop-flattened bitmap format alongside a face resembling the “grey alien” archetype.

Physical Anomalies: The BLT Research

William Levengood’s Findings

The most scientifically rigorous examination of crop circle physical evidence was conducted by biophysicist William C. Levengood and the BLT Research Team (Burke, Levengood, Talbott). Beginning in the early 1990s, Levengood analyzed hundreds of crop samples from formations worldwide and reported several consistent anomalies:

Bent Nodes: In crop circle plants, the nodes (the knuckle-like joints along the stem) were frequently found to be elongated and bent, rather than broken. This suggested the stems had been softened and then re-solidified in the bent position, rather than being mechanically flattened. Levengood attributed this to rapid microwave heating.

Expulsion Cavities: In some cases, the nodes of affected plants showed tiny holes or “expulsion cavities” — as though internal moisture had been rapidly converted to steam and burst through the node wall. This is consistent with sudden intense heating.

Seed Abnormalities: Seeds from crop circle plants sometimes showed altered growth rates and germination patterns compared to control samples from the same field but outside the formation.

Soil Changes: Soil samples from within formations occasionally showed elevated levels of specific minerals and altered crystalline structures in clay minerals, consistent with brief exposure to high temperatures.

Criticism of BLT Research

Levengood’s work has been criticized on several grounds:

• Some of his results could not be independently replicated
• Bent and elongated nodes can occur naturally through phototropism (plant response to light) and gravitropism (response to gravity) after any flattening
• Sample collection was often performed by enthusiasts rather than under controlled scientific conditions
• His proposed mechanism (a plasma vortex system) lacked a clear physical basis.

Despite these criticisms, the BLT research remains the most systematic attempt to apply laboratory science to crop circle physical evidence, and some of its findings have not been satisfactorily explained by known mechanical flattening methods.

Electromagnetic Anomalies

Equipment Malfunctions

Researchers working within crop formations have reported frequent electronic equipment malfunctions, including:

• Camera batteries draining rapidly
• Compass needles spinning erratically
• Mobile phones losing signal or malfunctioning
• GPS devices showing inaccurate readings
• Video cameras recording visual interference.

While these reports are largely anecdotal, their consistency across different researchers and locations has been noted. Skeptics attribute them to confirmation bias, environmental factors, and the unreliability of consumer electronics in field conditions.

Electromagnetic Measurements

Some researchers have measured elevated electromagnetic radiation levels within fresh formations, particularly in the microwave frequency range. These measurements have been inconsistent and difficult to replicate, but when present, they would be consistent with Levengood’s microwave-heating hypothesis for plant node changes.

Famous Formations

The Julia Set, Stonehenge (1996)

A breathtaking formation of 149 circles arranged in a spiral pattern appeared in a field opposite Stonehenge. It was one of the largest and most mathematically precise formations ever recorded, measuring over 900 feet in length.

The Arecibo Reply, Chilbolton (2001)

Appearing near the Chilbolton radio telescope in Hampshire, this formation appeared to be a pixel-by-pixel modification of the 1974 Arecibo Message that had been broadcast into space. The “reply” altered the human DNA helix to a triple strand, changed the depicted figure from human to a large-headed humanoid, and modified the solar system diagram. An accompanying formation depicted a large face. The Chilbolton formations remain among the most controversial and debated of all crop circles.

The Milk Hill Script (1991)

An early formation near Alton Barnes depicted what appeared to be a series of symbols or letters. Some researchers interpreted these as an ancient script or extraterrestrial communication. No definitive translation has been agreed upon.

The Crabwood Alien (2002)

A formation near Winchester, Hampshire, depicted a large “grey alien” face alongside a disc containing a spiral binary code. When decoded, the binary message read: “Beware the bearers of FALSE gifts & their BROKEN PROMISES. Much PAIN but still time. BELIEVE. There is GOOD out there. We OPpose DECEPTION. Conduit CLOSING.” This formation, whether human-made or otherwise, demonstrated extraordinary technical sophistication.

The Butterfly, Netherlands (2009)

A massive formation in the shape of a butterfly appeared in a field in Goes, Netherlands, measuring approximately 1,500 feet across. It was one of the largest formations ever documented and appeared in a country without a strong circlemaking tradition.

Theories of Origin

Human Art

The most widely accepted explanation is that crop circles are human-made land art, created by teams of circlemakers working at night with simple tools. This explanation is demonstrably true for a large percentage of formations. The English circlemaking community has produced stunning works and has openly described techniques, motivations, and methods.

Natural Phenomena

Dr. Terence Meaden proposed that crop circles could be created by atmospheric vortices — spinning columns of air that could flatten crops in circular patterns. This theory was plausible for simple circles but could not account for complex geometric formations. Plasma vortex variations of this theory have been proposed but remain speculative.

Electromagnetic or Microwave Energy

Building on Levengood’s research, some theorists propose that focused electromagnetic or microwave energy from an unknown source could create the observed plant and soil changes. This theory would require a directed energy source of considerable sophistication.

Extraterrestrial Communication

The theory that crop circles are created by extraterrestrial intelligences remains popular in public discourse. Proponents point to the mathematical precision, the apparent encoded messages, and the association with UFO sightings in crop circle areas. Critics note the absence of clear, unambiguous communication and the demonstrated human ability to create complex formations.

The Current Scene

Crop circle activity continues annually, primarily in Wiltshire, England, but with formations appearing worldwide. The community of researchers, enthusiasts, and circlemakers that has developed around the phenomenon represents a unique cultural ecosystem. Annual conferences, aerial photography, and systematic documentation ensure that each season’s formations are thoroughly recorded and analyzed.

Whether crop circles are ultimately understood as a purely human art form, a natural phenomenon, evidence of non-human intelligence, or some combination of these, they remain one of the most visually arresting and culturally significant anomalous phenomena of the modern era. The flattened crops themselves may be temporary, but the questions they raise about art, nature, perception, and the boundaries of the known world continue to resonate.

Sources

• Wikipedia search: “Crop Circles: Natural Phenomenon, Human Art, or Something Else?”