An elaborate peice of remarkably well-preserved ancient art,  the Great Stele of Hopeworld 228 is still the center of intense controversy.  It is the source of theories regarding "the Star that Dims" and beleived to be a pictoral narrative of major events contemporary to the ancients.  The stele is inscribed with the Ancient A langauge, yet to be decoded, and exhibits unusual magnetic properties.  It is beleived to have originated approximately 39,000 years ago.   This metallic sphere, known to science as QZL-480, was discovered on Quetzlcoatl where it lay buried for mellenia in a deep shaft filled with soil.  The sphere is fabricated of a seamless material and is a dull silver color.  Scientists have speculated that the sphere contains sophisticated electronics or machinery, though this cannot be proven without risk to the artifact.  Attempts to discover the nature of QZL-480 have met with little success, and it remains the subject of study.