Initial Tests
From the initial examination, it seemed unlikely that
this damage was due to chemical attack. Discoloration of the stem can be caused
by the solvents used in sprays; however, this is plainly not the case here.
The plants subject to attack were exclusively those peripheral to the cluster;
therefore, the damage must have been connected with the creation of the formation,
not the result of agricultural spraying. On the other hand, it occurred to me
that some strong reagent could have been painted onto the stems. This also seemed
unlikely as no systemic migration was evident. Even so, a quick test was performed
for variation of pH by placing indicator papers moistened with deionized water
across the affected and unaffected areas. No variation was detected.
A most striking feature of this case is the rapidity of chlorophyll deterioration. Fig 3 shows three stems where virtually no trace of photosynthetic pigment remains after just a few hours of the formation's creation. The chlorophylls are a surprisingly robust set of molecules. Even after boiling or being subject to total dehydration by microwave heating, they usually retain some of their photo-absorption characteristics. Yet, in these three stems, the chlorophyll degeneration appeared, at first sight, to be complete suggesting that the sub-cellular structure itself had been destroyed.
Chlorophyll is contained in cellular plastids called chloroplasts. These are located on the inside of the cell wall and, in leaves, occupy about 8% of the total cell volume. The chloroplast itself is surrounded and protected by a double membrane with no pores called the chloroplast envelope. Thus, for the chlorophylls to be exposed, both the cell wall and the chloroplast envelope must fail.
In view of this, one might have expected some evidence of damage. Yet, on initial microscopic examination, the cell structure had the appearance of having aged naturally. There was, for example, evidence of intervascular shrinkage and a loss of structural integrity commensurate with dehydration and natural deterioration.
It was later drawn to my attention that a second formation at Liddington Castle was found to have a similar feature. The glyph was of a different design but it too had a cluster of plants with stems exhibiting the same characteristics. However, it was not just the stems that provided convincing evidence that these were hoaxes but also the design of the glyphs themselves.
