America’s stonehenge

[Fred250]

My father in law lives nearby and is helping with my sons pinewood derby car. On the way home I couldn’t resist stopping with my son for his fist visit, and thought I’d post some pics while I await the big reveal at 7 pst. This is the most famous of the “rock pile” sites in my area, and similar to the areas I that I tend to hunt for artifacts or geofacts acts as most of you all them.

 

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[Fred250]

Always sideways when I post pics, sorry.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Great "pics", ANYWAY!

 

[smokeythecat]

Looks like a park or something due to the fence. What area is that near?

 

[arrow86]

That’s a really neat looking place

 

[pghDFXer]

Ewe that's awesome! I'd live in there!

 

[StoneHunter]

Very cool site!

I'm guessing you have an iPhone? If so, read this;

https://iphonephotographyschool.com/iphone-photos-upside-down/

 

[Fred250]

It’s a local attraction located in Salem NH and has been since the sixties. I went on field trips there as a kid in school more than once, kind of what started my interest in these type of sites. It has seen modern reconstruction I believe, and I guess they were using the site as a ready made quarry at one time. Used to claim it was ancient celts or Phoenicians who built it but they have moved on to native construction.

 

[ptsofnc]

I think I saw an episode of America Unearthed (Scott Wolter) about this site a while back. Interesting, but made for TV. Like most of TV, lots of crazy speculation, but not much truth.

 

[Fred250]

I think I saw an episode of America Unearthed (Scott Wolter) about this site a while back. Interesting, but made for TV. Like most of TV, lots of crazy speculation, but not much truth.

It’s not the only site around here, just the most elaborate. The walls and piles are in pretty much any area of woods that’s near water that’s left around, which probably isn’t much compared to what most of you are used too. And I have to think most have been destroyed or buried over time.

 

[Red James Cash]

It's not native construction lmao.Native Americans did not build with stone.

 

[dognose]

that is a cool place. I too saw this on tv a while back.

 

[Fred250]

It's not native construction lmao.Native Americans did not build with stone.

That’s what I always heard/read around here anyway but it seems the opinions have changed lately.

 

[smokeythecat]

Is their any physical evidence as to who built it and when. If you're like me, there is plenty of evidence in my lawn (har har har) I live here. Coins, bits of trash, nuts and bolts and screws I dropped, that kind of stuff.

 

[unclemac]

THIS is America's Stonehenge...

 

[Red James Cash]

Smokey the Celts built it.

 

[Red James Cash]

Fred the opinions are from people who don't know what they're talking about.Theyre stuck in the Columbus mode B.S.

 

[Fred250]

Is their any physical evidence as to who built it and when. If you're like me, there is plenty of evidence in my lawn (har har har) I live here. Coins, bits of trash, nuts and bolts and screws I dropped, that kind of stuff.

There is a museum with some native artifacts found on site, but not too much. The size of some of the stones makes you wonder how they could have done it though.

 

[Red James Cash]

There's quite a bit more to it than mystery hill,that's what it use to be called.Theres similar structure all over new england,though on a smaller scale.they are also astronomically aligned.the small stone rooms are called dolmens.they are not tombs or root cellars lol.

 

[Charl]

Yes, this is the site that was once known as Mystery Hill. The investigation of this site, by an amateur archaeologist, in the early 20th century(he thought it was the work of Medieval Irish monks) led eventually to the formation of several organizations dedicated to the study of this site and similar sites in the Northeast. The one organization that still exists is the New England Antiquities Research Association(NEARA). Here is their website, although it is bring revamped, and there is not much to see there at this time:

NEARA

I became deeply involved in researching these sites in late 70's, and for a time was research director of the Rhode Island chapter of NEARA.

The bottom line at present is that the leading competing theories, regarding stone cairns, is Native American vs. colonial and Post colonial field clearing by sheep farmers. The notion that some of these sites were the product of megalithic cultures from Europe has fallen out of vogue quite some time ago.

Here in Rhode Island, the Narragansett tribe is fully invested in a Native American origin for many of these stone "mysteries" Here is a site in Hopkinton, RI that was recently preserved and dedicated by the Narragansett:

Manitou Hassannash Preserve ? Hopkinton Historical Association

And here is a good guide to such sites in the Northeast:

Stone Structures of Northeastern United States

I have hundreds of photos of sites I investigated, most from RI, and may create a thread sometime to provide examples of cairn fields, balanced or perched boulders(some resembling Old World dolmens, but which may be glacial in origin), standing stones, stone chambers, etc....