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UNEARTHING ANCIENT NEW ENGLAND AT AMERICA’S STONEHENGEBy Heather Hobson
Not only is there an American Stonehenge, it’s right in the heart of southern New Hampshire. Just north of the Massachusetts border in Salem, New Hampshire is a phenomenon known as Mystery Hill. Mystery Hill is a series of stone formations traversing over 30 acres. Many speculate that England’s Stonehenge was utilized by the ancient Celts as some kind of astronomical calendar. Some think it was built by magicians or giants. There are dozens of theories and opinions, most of them seem to be whimsical and romantic. Mystery Hill, on the other hand, has been determined by archaeologists to be a calendar indicating astronomical events. One of Mystery Hill’s most significant elements is a circular formation of stones with an ominous sacrificial table in the center. Some suspect that this was the site of human and animal sacrifices. Drainage rivulets on the altar are the same as those in European stone tables utilized for blood sacrifices. Beneath the sacrificial table is the “Oracle Chamber”. It is an elaborate web of hallways and carved out spaces that are thought to have been used during rituals upon the altar. It contains a bed, bench, closet, and a tube that permits a person inside the lower chamber to speak to congregants above at the altar. Adjacent to this area is a spot known as “Watch House”. It is a chamber with one wall constructed predominantly of white quartz. Quartz was treasured by many ancient cultures for its reflective qualities and white quartz has been found at similar monolithic structures in other parts of the world. Every year on February first the sunrise illuminates this chamber and the white quartz shimmers in the morning light.
On site, archaeologists found stone tablets with inscriptions alluding to the ancient Canaanite god Baal and the Celtic goddess Bel. Baal was worshipped by bygone civilizations of the Middle East as a sun god. In the Bible Baal is referred to as Beelzebub, the devil himself, the lord of the flies. The Celts, whose culture dominated Europe, the British Isles, and even parts of Asia, worshipped Bel as their goddess of light. On May first they celebrate Beltane welcoming light and new life to the land. Today, the Mystery Hill site is known as America’s Stonehenge. For a $9 admission fee, $6 for kids, you can see these ancient ruins and imagine how life in New England was thousands of years ago. Try to figure out who built this ancient complex, learn about its role as a possible Underground Railroad site and be sure to visit with the Alpacas. When you visit in the summertime, be sure to pack bug spray and wear your old sneakers or hiking shoes, parts of the trail can be muddy. In winter, strap in and see the trails by snowshoe. Take the time to envision what life was like here in civilizations past. Check the website, www.stonehengeusa.com , for upcoming events, archaeological information and coupons. References: |
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The
United States is such a young nation it is sometimes hard to imagine what life
was like before the Mayflower. Who was here before the Abenaki and the Pennacook
tribes? Maybe there were only trees, lakes, and granite. There are some places
where a rock is just a rock. But some, like Stonehenge, the mystical standing
stones in southern England, are magical. It’s not known who built Stonehenge or
for what purpose. If Stonehenge and other British stone circles exist, there
must be evidence of this occurrence elsewhere in the world. Could I find an
American Stonehenge?
Standing
stones on the Mystery Hill site mark precise astronomical events. On certain
days including solstices and equinoxes, the sun rises or sets directly over the
monoliths. One standing stone points to the star Thuban, which was the North
Pole star in 2000 BC. Stone walls throughout the site indicate more than 200
astronomical positions. Less opulent chambers are scattered all over Mystery
Hill and each chamber has sophisticated drainage which allows them to stay dry
almost all the time.