Lake Winnipesaukee mystery stone
Encyclopedia
The mystery stone from Lake Winnipesaukee
is an alleged out-of-place artifact (OOPArt), reportedly found in 1872 while workers were digging a hole for a fence post. It is a carved stone about 4 inches (10.2 cm) long and 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) thick, dark and egg-shaped, bearing a variety of symbols. The stone's age, purpose, and origin are unknown. Seneca Ladd, a Meredith
businessman who hired the workers, was given credit for the discovery. Upon Ladd's death in 1892, the stone passed to one of his daughters, who donated it to the New Hampshire Historical Society
in 1927. The stone is currently on exhibit at the Museum of New Hampshire History
.
and several other figures. The other side is more abstract, featuring inverted arrows, a moon shape, some dots and a spiral. There is a hole through the stone, bored from both ends with different size bits (1/8 inch at top and 3/8 inch at bottom).
. The writer said thunderstones "always present the appearance of having been machined or hand-worked: frequently they come from deep in the earth, embedded in lumps of clay, or even surrounded by solid rock or coral."
A borescope
analysis of the stone's holes was performed in 1994. In a 2006 article by the Associated Press, state archaeologist Richard Boisvert suggested the holes were drilled by power tools from the 19th or 20th century. Boisvert reported, "I've seen a number of holes bored in stone with technology that you would associate with prehistoric
North America. There's a certain amount of unevenness ... and this hole was extremely regular throughout. What we did not see was variations that would be consistent with something that was several hundred years old." Scratches in the lower bore suggest it was placed on a metal shaft and removed several times.
Analysis has concluded the stone is a type of quartzite
, derived from sandstone, or mylonite
.
Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is approximately long and from wide , covering — when Paugus Bay is included—with a maximum depth of ....
is an alleged out-of-place artifact (OOPArt), reportedly found in 1872 while workers were digging a hole for a fence post. It is a carved stone about 4 inches (10.2 cm) long and 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) thick, dark and egg-shaped, bearing a variety of symbols. The stone's age, purpose, and origin are unknown. Seneca Ladd, a Meredith
Meredith, New Hampshire
Meredith is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 6,241 at the 2010 census. Meredith is situated beside Lake Winnipesaukee. It is home to Stonedam Island Natural Area and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad...
businessman who hired the workers, was given credit for the discovery. Upon Ladd's death in 1892, the stone passed to one of his daughters, who donated it to the New Hampshire Historical Society
New Hampshire Historical Society
The New Hampshire Historical Society was founded in 1823. Its mission is to educate a diverse public about the significance of New Hampshire's past and its relationship to our lives today.-Introduction:...
in 1927. The stone is currently on exhibit at the Museum of New Hampshire History
New Hampshire Historical Society
The New Hampshire Historical Society was founded in 1823. Its mission is to educate a diverse public about the significance of New Hampshire's past and its relationship to our lives today.-Introduction:...
.
Symbols
Carvings on one side of the stone show an ear of cornMaize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and several other figures. The other side is more abstract, featuring inverted arrows, a moon shape, some dots and a spiral. There is a hole through the stone, bored from both ends with different size bits (1/8 inch at top and 3/8 inch at bottom).
Analysis and interpretation
The American Naturalist of November 1872 suggested the stone "commemorates a treaty between two tribes." A letter to the New Hampshire Historical Society in 1931 suggested it was a thunderstoneThunderstone (folklore)
Throughout Europe, Asia, Polynesia, in fact in almost all parts of the world where their use had been forgotten, flint arrowheads and axes turned up by the farmer's plow are considered to have fallen from the sky, are often thought to be thunderbolts and are called "Thunderstones".It was not until...
. The writer said thunderstones "always present the appearance of having been machined or hand-worked: frequently they come from deep in the earth, embedded in lumps of clay, or even surrounded by solid rock or coral."
A borescope
Borescope
A borescope is an optical device consisting of a rigid or flexible tube with an eyepiece on one end, an objective lens on the other linked together by a relay optical system in between. The optical system is usually surrounded by optical fibers used for illumination of the remote object...
analysis of the stone's holes was performed in 1994. In a 2006 article by the Associated Press, state archaeologist Richard Boisvert suggested the holes were drilled by power tools from the 19th or 20th century. Boisvert reported, "I've seen a number of holes bored in stone with technology that you would associate with prehistoric
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
North America. There's a certain amount of unevenness ... and this hole was extremely regular throughout. What we did not see was variations that would be consistent with something that was several hundred years old." Scratches in the lower bore suggest it was placed on a metal shaft and removed several times.
Analysis has concluded the stone is a type of quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
, derived from sandstone, or mylonite
Mylonite
Mylonite is a fine-grained, compact rock produced by dynamic recrystallization of the constituent minerals resulting in a reduction of the grain size of the rock. It is classified as a metamorphic rock...
.