Tucked away in the Northeast Georgia Mountains once stood a mysterious set of five 19-foot granite stones with 10 guidelines inscribed in eight languages known as “America’s Stonehenge” that suggested humanity maintain itself by keeping the population under 500 million people in perpetual balance with nature.

Formally known as the Georgia Guidestones, the 240,000-pound slabs of granite stood near the city of Elberton for over 40 years until a mysterious explosion occurred early Wednesday morning. The detonation damaged a large portion of the structure the point that construction crews had no choice but to finish the job.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation said preliminary information indicates that unknown individuals detonated an explosive device at around 4 a.m. on Wednesday. Elbert County Sheriff’s Office authorities were the first on the scene to discover the explosion significantly damaged one of the four stones. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, the cause of the explosion remains under investigation, and authorities have not arrested or identified any suspects.