I work in an area of MA that has a lot of history with indians, settlers as early as 1700, and even a Brittish warship was known to have been here(they buried 2 solders here that pasted due to scurvy).
There is a large flat stone here that protrudes from the ground. It bears the date of 1725. However the "5" is carved with the bottom curl only going 1/2 way around so as it abruptly ends facing down. The top line of the "5" curls upward, instead of being flat, so that it matches the bottom curl. I can find no handwritten documents from the 1700's that show a 5 written like this. I have always felt it to be a symbol and not a 5, but can't find a reference to a symbol like this either.
Oddly enough after looking at this carving for years,one afternoon I decided to take a few pictures of this stone. It had recenty snowed a light dusting. When I got the pictures developed, I foundthe snow had filled in the lines and there was alot more to the carving than any of us had seen before. I do not have the ability to get the pictures on my computer,but I have done my best to draw it on here. If anyone has seen this before or can point me in a new direction, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
There is a large flat stone here that protrudes from the ground. It bears the date of 1725. However the "5" is carved with the bottom curl only going 1/2 way around so as it abruptly ends facing down. The top line of the "5" curls upward, instead of being flat, so that it matches the bottom curl. I can find no handwritten documents from the 1700's that show a 5 written like this. I have always felt it to be a symbol and not a 5, but can't find a reference to a symbol like this either.
Oddly enough after looking at this carving for years,one afternoon I decided to take a few pictures of this stone. It had recenty snowed a light dusting. When I got the pictures developed, I foundthe snow had filled in the lines and there was alot more to the carving than any of us had seen before. I do not have the ability to get the pictures on my computer,but I have done my best to draw it on here. If anyone has seen this before or can point me in a new direction, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
