A prehistoric structure resembling England’s iconic Stonehenge has been discovered in Grand Traverse Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan on the western shore of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
The findings were found by Dr. Mark Holley, a distinguished professor of underwater archeology at Northwestern Michigan University. The picturesque waters of Grand Traverse Bay boast a long maritime history, with dozens of known shipwrecks attesting to the area’s bustling 19th- and 20th-century maritime trade routes. Beneath its serene surface, secrets of many kinds have emerged, capturing the attention of archaeologists and historians. Archaeologists have discovered sunken boats and cars and even a Civil War-era pier at a depth of about 40 feet in Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay, using sonar techniques to search for shipwrecks. While searching for shipwrecks under Lake Michigan, archaeologists discovered a rock with a prehistoric carving of a mastodon, as well as a collection of stones arranged similarly to Stonehenge. About forty feet below the glittering waters of Lake Michigan, Dr. Holley discovered stones arranged in a long row, more than a mile long. The stones have been dated to around 9,000 years ago. This was 4,000 years before the construction of Stonehenge and about two thousand years after the end of the Ice Age. It occurred when the lake bed was dry and before Grand Traverse Bay existed. “This site seems to gain space in the media about every six months or so. Unfortunately, much of the information available is incorrect. For example, there is no henge associated with the site, and the individual stones are relatively small compared to what most people consider European standing stones. It should be clear that this is not a megalithic site like Stonehenge. This label was placed on the site by members of the press who may have been attempting to create a buzz about the story and did not visit the site. The site at Grand Traverse Bay is best described as a long row of stones more than a mile long,” Dr. Holley said.
It is not, however, the only strange submerged prehistoric site in this region. While exploring Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes of North America, underwater archaeologists have discovered traces of an ancient lost civilization that is twice as old as Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Dr. John O’Shea of the University of Michigan has been working on a substantially similar structure on Lake Huron. Through an innovative leap of thought, he concluded that the structure was perfect for caribou hunting corridors. According to reports, underwater archaeologists have discovered what appears to be a land corridor that once connected northeastern Michigan and southern Ontario. Scientists say the main structure, known as Drop 45 Drive Lane, is the most complex hunting structure discovered to date under the Great Lakes. The 9,000-year-old limestone structure consists of two parallel lines of stones leading to a dead end lined with natural cobblestones. If the results are correct, the hunting complex would be twice as old as Stonehenge. It is highly possible that the Grand Traverse Bay site may have served a similar function to that found in Lake Huron. The exact location of the “Stonehenge-like” structure in Lake Michigan is still a mystery. To show respect to the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa tribes for their ancestral heritage and to prevent the site from being inadvertently destroyed, Dr. Holley was kind enough to inform them of his discovery.