Lake Winnipesaukee Mystery Stone at the New Hampshire Historical Society
For its size New Hampshire seems to have a large number of mysteries and many of these are found in numerous writings online and offline. The current situation is keeping me close to home lately so I have been exploring online. One of my favorite topics is mystery stones. This mysterious stone egg caught my interest … so here is what I learned on my e-travels. When I do “hit the road”, a visit to the Museum of New Hampshire History will be well worth the time. You should consider a visit to see this unusual artifact and more. As you will discover, there are many different theories about what this is. But one thing is certain, it is a beautiful work of art.
Art MacKay
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IN THE LATE 1872, A group of workers digging a fence post for Seneca Ladd near Lake Winnipesaukee discovered a strange egg-shaped artifact. Clearly not a work of nature, the stone was drilled through from end to end with two different sized tools, and polished smooth along its surface. At only 4 inches high and 2.5 inches wide, the stone was miniature but its intrigue was massive.
Besides its strange exterior and construction, the stone was also marked with bizarre symbols ranging deep into the abstract and evoking astronomical symbols along with a plain geometric egg-shaped face.
Initial explanations of the stone began from the simplest answer, stating it simply commemorated a peace treaty between tribes. However, this idea did not hold for long and shortly after it was hypothesized that the stone was in fact an ancient tool of some kind.
These hypotheses have failed to impress the masses, and skeptics on both sides have come to the table, as recent as the late 20th century. A recent analysis suggested that it was a hoax and the hole through the stone was too precise to have been crafted by ancient peoples. Unfortunately, that position simply gave way to explanations including extraterrestrials and further muddled the debate.
What can be said for certain is an unknown craftsman, likely in the mid to late 1800s, carved this strange egg shaped object, and that is has been a source fascination since. Today visitors can decide for themselves on a trip to the New Hampshire Historical Society where the stone has made its home for the last 85 years.
Know Before You Go
The location for the historical society has moved. It is now located behind the capitol building. If you want to see the stone go up the stairs in front of the entrance. (Right side of stairs) turn left at the top of the stairs. The stone is located in a display in the hallway near a staff lounge.
From: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-winnipesaukee-mystery-stone
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