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A mound hunting experiment
The hypothesis is that there was a mound building culture in northern Middlesex County MA, in towns along the NH border. This culture built its mounds:- In high valleys
- Overlooking nearby water
- Near a road, or old road
These conditions seemed to be ideally met over east of Rindge Rd in northernmost Fitchburg. I went through a 1/4 mile or so of heavy bushes, got onto the old road there (just below the word "CORPORATE" on the map fragment), and stepped off to get into the area outlined in pencil. I found mounds immediately. The blue outline shows where I stepped into the mound site. And that is all I explored. Anyone want to come along next weekend to visit the rest of the pencil outline?In any case, doesn't that mean the hypothesis is confirmed? Not because of this alone but because of this and the other times (see earlier articles on Groton, Dunstable, Ashby, and Pelham NH).
The hypothesis is that there was a mound building culture in northern Middlesex County MA, in towns along the NH border. This culture built its mounds:
My recollection is that there are similar such mounds within the Great Brook Farm State Park in Carlisle- another town along Northern Middlesex County border with New Hampshire. And those two are located near the water. I remember seeing them as a child. I looked few years ago and saw some, but was there in summer when the ground vegetation tends to obscure them.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, the very much anomalous Indian Hill area across the water, with its myriad stone embrasures, split rocks, ancient stone rows along hilly areas, stone turtles, etc., makes me wonder what this fascinating area really was used for.
And by whom.
I would be glad to get more specific directions. Never saw large mounds there at Great Brook Farm but I would be happy to see some.
ReplyDeleteTake the trail that wraps around the main pond. In the land area that is adjacent to the most southeasterly portion of the pond, you will see them. You have to walk off the trial. I suggest you go in November. There is a ridge line adjacent to what are now home lots. When I saw the mounds as a kid, they were located near that ridge line- a good distance away from the pond.
ReplyDeleteThere are also some located close to the trail.
Further, there is a large boulder right near the pond and not far off the trail which to me is clearly a very ancient carved stone turtle. It has grooved lines on it's "shell" that to me look distinctively leatherback. (Not the stone turtle close to the road which everyone is aware of)