In the 1960s, it was established that the zone of levelled forest occupied an area of 2,150 km (830 sq mi), its shape resembling a gigantic spread-eagled butterfly with a "wingspan" of 70 km (43 mi) and a "body length" of 55 km (34 mi). Upon closer examination, Kulik found holes that he erroneously concluded were meteorite holes; he did not have the means at that time to excavate the holes.