Scientists were baffled when they first spotted the miles-long network of grey tubes in the Canadian wilderness.
They said the image, first captured by the Quickbird Two satellite in 2006, looked like something "writhing".
On closer inspection, it turned out to be massive piles of gravel and rock in Dawson City, Yukon, according to the Science Channel.
The stones were dug up in the 1920s when US prospectors came to the town to set up giant factories to mine for gold.
They would pick up giant amounts of gold-bearing gravel, collect the precious metal and discard the rest.
Incredibly, the local community in the former Gold Rush capital now wants to protect them as a historic site.
Mayor Wayne Potoroka admitted it was odd to try and preserve a pile of rocks, but added: "It's part of our history."
He told the National Post: "Those tailings tell a big part of the Klondike’s story. Once they’re gone, they’re gone."
Dawson City is now seeking the "protection necessary to ensure its cultural value isn't lost".
Many of the mounds have been flattened but the city wants the rest to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Yukon officials are preparing an official report on the "history and significance" of the site.
Scientists realised the structure might be man-made when they noticed a rectangular structure on the satellite pic.
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