A mystery metal monolith identical to one which recently disappeared from a desert in the US has been discovered in Europe.
The monolith was spotted on Batca Doamnei Hill in the city of Piatra Neamt in Romania’s north-eastern Neamt County on November 26.
Authorities said the owner of the property is still unknown but whoever propped the monument up should have sought permission from the country's Ministry of Culture.
The metal structure was found a few metres from the oldest historical monument in the city - the well-known Petrodava Dacian Fortress.
The fortress is believed to have been destroyed by the Romans in 2nd century AD but parts of the city wall can still be seen today.
The shiny triangular structure has a height of about four metres (13ft) and one side faces Mount Ceahlau, known locally as the Holy Mountain.
It is one of the most famous mountains in Romania, and is listed as one of the seven natural wonders of the country.
The unusual metal monolith resembles the one which recently reportedly disappeared in a desert in the US state of Utah.
The metal obelisk had been embedded into the red earth.
Helicopter pilot Bret Hutchings, who was among the party that discovered it, described it as "about the strangest thing that I've come across out there in all my years of flying".
He told local news channel KSL TV his best guess was that it had been put there by a "new wave artist" or a fan of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Neamt Culture and Heritage official Rocsana Josanu said: “We have started looking into the strange appearance of the monolith.
"It is on private property, but we still don’t know who the monolith’s owner is yet.
"It is in a protected area on an archaeological site.”
She added: “Before installing something there, they needed permission from our institution, one that must then be approved by the Ministry of Culture.”
The investigation continues.
