Lithic(entry) / Maine / New Hampshire / Vermont / MASSACHUSETTS /Rhode Island / Connecticut
| The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts is steeped in historical
significance to Americans of European descent. A certain
prestige exists for people who can trace their lineages
to passengers on the Mayflower, or were part of the
original Plimouth Plantation. For the indigenous tribes,
the woodlands and shorelines of New England supported a
semi-settled style of life which included a richly varied
diet. Since the last glaciation of eastern North America
ended about 10,000 years ago, it is no surprise that
evidence of the earliest inhabitants of these lands can
still be seen today. The mystery lies in the difficulty
in dating lithic structures, since the building materials
themselves are so old yet may have been moved to their
present positions only yesterday! Because the European
colonists were wont to document or record so many facets
of their lives, including the ordinary, we can make some
suppositions regarding their farming and building habits,
and use this as part of the proof of the antiquity of
some of these mysterious sites.
Entrance to the Upton chamber In Upton, Massachusetts, a large stone beehive chamber came to public light in the 1800's after an article published in the Milford Journal speculated on its origins and purpose. The author wondered if it was a place of refuge from a warrior people pre-dating the local "Indian race." The chamber is quite large: a 15-foot long entryway leads to an 11-foot diameter room over 10 feet high. The beautiful dry-stone construction has held up well. The "bee-hive" had been kept clean for many years, and virtually no artifacts have been found inside. The floor is a curiosity: now-rotted away wooden planking covered over later by flagstones. An argument against colonial construction can be made in light of no artifacts being found. Why would a farmer waste his time searching out and removing a lost button or broken pipestem from his storehouse? And would he even notice losing something like this? On the other hand, if the structure had a religious significance to early inhabitants, perhaps ritualistic scouring occured periodically. The very size belies easy explanation, and even re-evaluation of the Upton Chamber by astroarcheologists cannot justify the location or positioning of the site without stretching the possibility. Throughout the world inscribed stones have been used as a means of durable communication, not easily erased. Over the centuries, the original intent of the inscribers is usually lost, leaving the inscriptions open to any number of interpretations. Carved rocks in New England are no exception, and perhaps the desire to "prove" contact with ancient sea-faring peoples, such as the Vikings or the Phoenicians, causes them to be seen in this way.
The Bourne rock The Bourne rock, found in the vicinity of a Manamet Indian village, was considered sacred by the Manamets, although they seemed to have no "translation" of the markings. The rock was incorporated into a church built for the natives, and later into a home. It now rests in the Apucxet Trading Post Museum. Over the last centuries, the inscription has been considered proof of Viking visitation in New England, proof of contact with Phoenician sailors, proof of an early picto-writing of Native Americans. Take your pick!
An old lithograph of the Dighton rock with its pictographs chalked Another carved rock, the Dighton rock, is heavily inscribed by markings which over the years have been interpreted as an early, previously unseen Native American writing, Viking runic carvings, Phoenician signposts, a message left by early Portuguese sailors who were lost over 400 years ago. The Dighton rock is now enclosed in a museum not far from its original site. Nearby are old stone cairns and a collapsed beehive chamber. It would seem that Dighton rock may have been part of an area of importance to the indigenous tribes.
The entrance to the Petersham underground beehive chamber; the area has been dug open to allow easier access. In Petersham, Massachusetts a nicely constructed underground beehive chamber with stone-lined tunnels snaking off was discovered in the 1940's when a section of field collapsed under a tractor and the entryway revealed. The tunnels are too small for even a child too enter, so the purpose of this unusual structure is unknown. Archeological investigation has not yet been made, so we can only speculate on its purpose.
Along one of the Goshen tunnels Also in Western Massachusetts is a wondrously old complex of stone-lined tunnels in Goshen. Excavations in the 1980's revealed that part of the complex was dug while soil deposits from melting glaciers were still being laid. This occured about 10,000 years ago! A carved stone artifact found in relation to the massive capstone slabs which make up the roof is probably about 5,000 years old. Despite earlier speculation that the tunnels were built as part of the Underground Railroad, or an earlier settler's attempt at silkworm farming, the tunnels are undoubtedly part of a much more ancient landscape. Photos this page from Field guide to Mysterious Places of Eastern North America by Salvatore M. Trento. For bibliography and suggested reading, see Lithic. Please sign the Guestbook, and submit a mysterious site. Lithic(entry) / Maine / New Hampshire / Vermont / MASSACHUSETTS /
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