Near San Francisco on the western seaboard of the United States, strange things can be found in the dusty landscape. Dotted throughout the hills that surround San Francisco Bay, a series of sizeable, crudely made walls can be found, stretching for miles without rhyme or reason.
Known as the Berkeley Mystery Walls, they have baffled archeologists and enthusiasts alike. These walls stretch long distances across the Californian landscape, and so seemingly had a purpose, but what that is remains a mystery.
The absence of any specific written documentation regarding their creation or the purpose of existence has magnified the mystery surrounding them. Who built them, and why, remains unknown.
In recent times the Berkeley Mystery Walls, also called the East Bay Walls, have gained attention from people from all across the globe. Many speculations have come into existence about these walls.
While some believe that these walls were created by voyagers who belonged to a lost continent, others believe that they have been created by visitors from outer space. Many interesting theories have emerged regarding the Berkeley Mystery Walls, which have fueled the mystery.
What are the Berkeley Mystery Walls?
The Berkeley Mystery Walls are also known as the East Bay Walls. They are found all around the hills that rise up behind the San Francisco Bay Area, California. The walls have been made by stacking stones together, without the use of any mortar.
The lines of stones vary in height. While in some places, the height of the wall is only a foot (30 cm), in other places, its height is close to three feet (90 cm).
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The width of the walls also vary, from around three to five feet tall (90 to 150 cm). In some places, the wall appears to be in a straight line and in others, the walls form tight angles. There also exist circular or rectangular constructions, which add to the unique design of the mysterious wall. The walls cover no small part of California, and it would not have been easy to build them.
The most baffling thing about the Berkeley Mystery Walls is how the creators were able to move heavy rocks and stones to create the wall. For centuries the mysterious walls have given rise to varying questions, and people have been pondering its enigma.
Although several years have passed since they captured attention, most of the questions remain unanswered even to this day. However, several wild speculations continue to arise. Many wonder whether the wall was built with any specific purpose or not.
How Old are They?
The appearance of the Berkeley Mystery Walls indicates that they are very old and built a long time back. The heavy stones that were used to build the wall have sunk into the ground in some sections. In several parts of the wall, lichen has been overgrown, indicating that the walls could be the remnants of stone walls from ancient times.
However, no one exactly knows how old these walls are. According to the first Spanish settlers from the area, the walls had already been built when they first arrived in the location. When they enquired about the walls to the local Ohlone Native Americans, they also gave a similar response, indicating that the walls already existed when they first arrived at the place.
It is believed that the Berkeley Mystery Walls have prehistoric origins. Many people also think that the walls are evidence of the existence of an advanced civilization that had once settled in the East Bay region. Although it has not been uncovered when exactly these walls were built, a thing that is certain is that they are very old. The mysterious walls have an ancient appearance to them.
It implies that they could have been built several hundred or thousands of years back. Many people have tried to look for the answers, but it is yet to be ascertained when exactly the East Bay Walls were built. Based on the excavation that was done close to the wall formation area by Dr. Myers, a professor of Chemistry, there is a possibility that the walls were built between 1,000 to 10,000 years ago.
A vital question that many people have been trying to find an answer to is who could have built the walls with stacked stones. Many theories have emerged with the passage of time.
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While some seem to be logical and rational, there are others that seem bizarre and outlandish. However, as the answer to the question has not been found, it is essential to consider every possible option so that the mystery surrounding the East Bay Walls can be addressed.
In the year 1904, a highly respected Oriental Languages professor from University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Fryer, stated that the walls were built by Mongolians. He justified his claim by pointing out that the Chinese have the habit of building walls around them in towns and so this act could be their doing.
Dr. Myers, by contrast, has the view that the mysterious walls were stone age relics that had been discovered. However no concrete answer has emerged regarding who built the Berkeley Mystery Walls/ East Bay Walls.
There are other theories regarding the people who were behind the mysterious wall formation that cannot be missed. Some believe that settlers of ancient times placed stones and rocks to form walls so that they could be used as a form of guidance.
There are also people who believe that the walls were built by extraterrestrial beings so that they could be used as navigation tools. Other people have theorized that the walls were constructed by a vanished tribe belonging to the Native Americans, by voyagers from the ancient era or by other tribal groups for mystical reasons.
The East Bay Walls have been shrouded with mystery for several years. Although a long time has passed, most of the questions surrounding the walls have not yet been answered. Archeologists and researchers have been conducting studies to find the answers to unanswered questions.
By finding answers, it will be possible to put an end to the wild speculations that have been going around for many years. Although limited records exist that shed light on the walls, efforts are being made to remove the mystery component and look at it in a practical and pragmatic manner.
Top Image: The hills above San Francisco are dotted with low stone walls, but nobody knows who built them or why. Source: Elf / CC BY-SA 4.0.
By Bipin Dimri
References
Atlasobscura, 2022. Berkeley Mystery Walls. Available at: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/berkeley-mystery-walls
Brekke, D, 2018. Uncovering the Real Story Behind the ‘East Bay Mystery Walls’. Available at: https://www.kqed.org/news/11689504/uncovering-the-real-story-behind-the-mysterious-east-bay-walls
Legends of America, 2022. Who Built California’s East Bay Walls? Available at: https://www.legendsofamerica.com/east-bay-walls/
