The cylindrical-cut stone block—found in 1978 in the Precambrian granite fields of Karelia—is one of the most puzzling objects encountered by the research team led by Dr. Aleksei Morozov of the Leningrad Insтιтute of Archaeology. Its geological age, estimated between 1.8 and 2.1 billion years, places it far outside any timeline consistent with known technological development. The artifact is composed of pink granite mixed with feldspar and bioтιтe, a very hard material that is difficult to work with even with modern technology. What surprised the archaeologists was the cylindrical core drilled out of the rock, which has a smooth inner surface, regular spiral veins, and vertical cuts characteristic of high-speed mechanical tools. The artifact consists of pink granite mixed with feldspar and bioтιтe—materials extremely resistant to cutting—yet the cylindrical cavity displays smooth interior walls and spiral striations indicative of a machining process comparable to high-speed drilling tools.

The researchers ruled out the possibility that the object was a modern object mixed into the strata, because the surrounding rock was completely intact, undisturbed, and showed no signs of re-exposure. This factor raises the big question: who or what created such a perfect core cut in a rock that formed before the appearance of intelligent life. The researchers dismissed the possibility of recent human intrusion because the surrounding rock matrix was undisturbed. This leads to the central mystery: who—or what—could have produced such a precise cylindrical cut in billion-year-old granite?

Theories vary: some geologists suggest it may be the result of a rare form of vorticity erosion, but natural patterns cannot produce a smooth mechanical cut surface. Some archaeologists suggest a lost technique from an unknown ancient civilization; while mineralogists suggest that phase separation under extreme thermal and pressure conditions could have produced a similar shape, though they cannot explain the perfect smoothness. These conflicting theories—ranging from rare geological vortices to lost ancient technologies—attempt to explain the anomaly, yet none fully account for the smooth, tool-like finish of the cavity.

The object may have been part of an ancient drilling device, a technical experiment in quarrying, or a product of an unrecorded natural mechanism. Its significance lies in challenging current archaeological and geological knowledge, forcing scientists to reconsider the limits of their understanding of Earth’s history. The specimen was discovered by a team of five archaeologists and two geologists and has been preserved at the Geological Museum of Karelia since 1979 and continues to be the center of debate. Whether an engineered relic or an unknown geological event, the object forces archaeology and geology to confront the limits of current knowledge. Preserved at the Karelia Geological Museum since 1979, it continues to inspire debates about the true extent of technological or natural processes in Earth’s deep past.