A Roughly 30 Acre Archaeological Site With Large Rock And Stone Structures Scattered Throughout
Anyone who thinks a collection of stones can't be controversial has never heard of America's Stonehenge in Salem, New Hampshire. A roughly 30 acre archaeological site with large rock and stone structures scattered throughout, there's no clear idea as to what the rocks are, why they are there and what they meant. But Director Dennis Stone says it's believed that America's Stonehenge is similar to the megalithic sites in Europe.
Sites? When many people think of Stonehenge they, of course, think of the Stonehenge…the one in the United Kingdom with the giant stones all in a circle, said to have something to do with astronomy and spirituality. But Stone says there are similar sites all throughout Europe, up to 50,000 of them. There are also 100,000 in Korea alone. Australia also has their own Stonehenge, although the location is being protected…a guarded secret.
And then there's America's Stonehenge, a site that has stumped archaeologists for almost a century. Also known as Mystery Hill, the rock formations are sprawled throughout the hillside, including cave-like buildings, tunnels and other seemingly haphazardly placed stones.
One of the most popular features of Mystery Hill is the Sacrificial Stone, which is believed to be a place where rituals were performed, including the sacrifice of animals, their blood draining into grooves carved in the top of the structure. There is an underground chamber located underneath the stone that people believe was used to conceal the priest as he addressed a crowd. Of course, this is all just guesswork. The purpose of the stone structures in America's Stonehenge is still a mystery.
“The site is mysterious. Controversial. It's a link to our ancient past,” said Stone. “People come up with their own ideas after seeing the rocks and the artifacts. But everyone has the same questions. ‘Who were these people?’ ‘What did they do with the site?’ ‘Why did they abandon it?’ The activity being researched here could change history books.”
With such great mystery comes a lot of skepticism, people clinging desperately to any answer they can get. The unknown can be daunting – and frustrating – to some. Such is human nature. It all started when a farmer named Olivia Richman Pattee purchased the land in the early 1800s.
“Rumors abound that Pattee had built the structures himself, with the help of his five sons, for no apparent reason,” reads a quote from The Museum of UnNatural History. “This seems unlikely as one of the site stones was found locked in the stump of a tree that started growing around 1769, long before Pattee came to the area. It's rumored he also used the site as part of the Underground Railroad, helping escaped slaves from the south to safety. One thing for sure is that he used one of the structures as a cellar for his farmhouse.”
It was apparent that in the 1800s the stones were not seen as much more than peculiar structures…nothing more. It was only later that people started looking into the stones and their meaning. According to Stone, scientists and archaeologists have been carbon dating the stones and other artifacts on the site since the 1960s and have found that the formations date back to 4,000 years ago.
It seems likely that the site was constructed in ancient times by Greek or Phoenician cultures of the Mediterranean. If researchers and archeologists are correct, Mystery Hill – much like the original Stonehenge – was used as an observatory. Each site has been found to have astronomical alignments, including summer solstice. They both tell time accurately.
One of about 800 similar sites in the northeast, Mystery Hill is one of the oldest stone ruins in North America. Some of the cave-like buildings are said to possibly have acted as temporary homes for the spiritual. Others may have been used as temples. “A spiritual leader may have stayed up here on the site during ceremonial times, like the equinoxes,” explains Stone.
Could it all be a fantastical tall tale? Other archeologists believe so. Some have come to the conclusion that some of the stones were assembled for various reasons by farmers in the 18th and 19th century, a theory formed based on some of the artifacts found on site. The Sacrificial Stone may have just been a lye-leaching stone, used to manufacture soap. Still other research found that other artifacts and materials found on the stone are evidence of indigenous tool manufacturing, consistent with Native American techniques, although no date was determined.
“It remains a mystery,” said Stone. “People love a mystery. Is this part of our history that's not mentioned in the books, about ancient people visiting a new world? Was it Native Americans? Who was building it? If it was just Native Americans, how does it look so similar to the ones in Europe?”
Discoveries and research happen up until this day at America's Stonehenge, archeologists and scientists never resting until there are clear answers, more facts. For many, the hypothesis surrounding Mystery Hill are not enough. They need to know: What was happening here 4,000 years ago?
Most guests who visit the beautiful yet eerie hillside leave with the same urge to know what they just witnessed. What did they just walk through? Who had made the same journey thousands of years ago? And why? It can be breathtaking to walk among the stone structures and just marvel at their curious beauty, at their massiveness and uniqueness. But most people also note the carvings, the strange formations and have to know... What happened on Mystery Hill?
Olivia Richman
A graduate of East Connecticut State University in Journalism, Olivia has written for Stonebridge Press & Antiques Marketplace among others. She enjoys writing, running and video games.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Pine Acres RV Resort, one of the premiere wilderness playgrounds in all of New England. This New Hampshire camping resort offers countless amenities in a location that is second to none.