Ancient Stone Sites of New England by David Goudsward    Books by David Goudsward · The Westford Knight and Henry Sinclair · Shadows Over Florida · Shadows Over New England · America's Stonehenge: The Mystery Hill Story · The Fly at 50: The Creation and Legacy of a Classic Science Fiction Film                 >> View all
Category:	History	Publisher:	McFarland			Type:
				ISBN-13:	9780786424627	Non-Fiction

Brief history of major and notable ancient stone sites in New England Buy your copy! Ancient Stone Sites In New England today, there are megalithic stones, stone chambers and structures, carvings and petroglyphs, even an unidentified skeleton in armor that defy easy explanation. From Maine to Massachusetts, this work presents an examination of various unexplained historical remains in New England. From the most notorious to the lesser known, it explores not only the layout and dimensions of such sites—some reminiscent of Stonehenge with their huge stones, astronomical alignments and undiscovered purposes—but also the history and possible explanations for their existence. Theories regarding Norse, Phoenician, Irish, Celtic and Native American origins are presented here in an impartial and logical manner. Sites discussed include Mystery Hill in North Salem, New Hampshire (also known as America’s Stonehenge); Dighton Rock in Berkley, Massachusetts; Newport Tower in Newport, Rhode Island; and the Bellows Falls Petroglyphs in Bellows Falls, Vermont. An appendix provides information regarding sites open to the public.

NEARA Journal
Ancient Stone Sites of New England and the Debate Over Early European Exploration. David Goudsward, foreword by Niven Sinclair. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2006; viii+240 pp., 34 B&W illustrations, index. $32.00.
David Goudsward is the sort of person who likes to get to the bottom of things. His latest book takes the reader on an eclectic trip around New England to all of the well-known sites that have been previously suggested as evidence for early European (as in Pre-Columbian) exploration of this area, and many of the lesser-known ones as well. Never content to just present a veneer of topical information, Goudsward delves into the contextual background to illuminate the often checkered history of findings, theories, and disputes that has grown up around each of these intriguing sites. He brings this history to life by introducing to us the people behind the research and debates, and by bringing to light forgotten details of life in early colonial America—which often have a bearing on whether an artifact makes sense as a relic of that period or whether it must come to us from an even older source.
This book doesn’t mince words, nor does it waste them. It manages to cover an encyclopedic subject in ten short chapters, each of them almost an independent book on its own, although the progression is cumulative and some background is occasionally assumed from previous chapters. Despite being small, the chapters aren’t short on essentials. What have been left out are the armchair speculations and grandiose theories that are often found in other books that treat these subjects. Goudsward has taken his cue from Joe Friday, “All we want are the facts, ma'am.” The reader as jury is left to make his or her own judgement as to the ultimate resolution of each debate, but the arguments of the various sides are dispassionately elucidated.
The chapter on Mystery Hill (now better known as America’s Stonehenge) is a useful 20-page synopsis of Goudsward’s earlier book, written with Robert E. Stone (The Mystery Hill Story, Boston: Branden Books, 2003; 128 pp. $14.95) However, in addition, Goudsward’s latest book offers a whole separate chapter of new research into several “Sacrificial Table” styled stones, including four lesser-known examples in addition to the prototype from Mystery Hill. Here we are treated to a fascinating exposé of the colonial industries of pine tar production, lye soap manufacturing, and apple cider pressing; these historical technologies are contrasted with the physical features of the anomalous “Sacrificial Tables” to evaluate the standard prosaic explanations for the existence of these stones in the locations where they were first found.
To the perennial old chestnut of the early Norse exploration of New England Goudsward has devoted four chapters: the Norse settlement of Boston, the Newport Tower, the runic inscriptions of the New England coast, and the Norse evidence on Cape Cod. As elsewhere in the book, Goudsward succeeds in ferreting out an impressive retinue of little-known facts that together present a significant chain of evidence that the reader will find both intriguing and relevant in forming his own judgments in each case. Take the fascinating case of the Whittier Runstone, for example; immortalized by poet John Greenleaf Whittier as “the Northman’s Written Rock,” but known to locals of West Newbury, Mass. as the “old Hanging Rock,” near the bank of the Merrimac River. A sketch of the inscription published by George Poole in 1854 shows two horizontal rows of each about a dozen of the oddest looking “runic” characters ever claimed as such, including a spear-bearing stick-man with what appears to be a wire hanging from his ear. Goudsward reveals the story behind the story, as usual, as the curious web of events pertaining to this artifact is unraveled, culminating in its regrettable collapse some years ago—but the latest report reveals that the stick man may still be seen.
Rounding out the book are chapters on the Dighton Rock, the New England Chambers, the Westford Knight, and the Gungywamp. Only a handful of the most famous chambers are discussed (as a full treatment would be a huge book by itself), but this chapter (titled Celtic New England) is a good introduction to the subject for someone not already familiar with it. Phaeton Rock and the Bellows Falls Petroglyphs are included in the same chapter.
Goudsward has nicely concluded the book with a helpful appendix listing concise location data and contact information for the sites mentioned in the book that are accessible to the public. One admonition brought a wince to my face, though. Under the heading of Norumbega Tower, after some directions, he writes “this site is virtually impossible to locate because of the highways and state routes that criss-cross the area. Use a map and bring a navigator — a visitor unfamiliar with the nuances of Boston driving should not be diverting any attention from the road to look at directions.” How true! On my own first attempt to locate the Tower I was stopped by the State Police and given a speeding ticket—all I was doing was absent-mindedly following the car in front of me while trying to correlate the open map with the visible landscape features (the car ahead of me also got a ticket).
Overall, Ancient Stone Sites of New England is a very welcome addition to the literature on this subject. It gathers into one compact edition all of the essential facts that the expert would have to scour scores of dusty journals to compile, and provides updates of Goudsward’s own investigations that haven’t been published elsewhere; at the same time, the information is presented in a charming and compelling story flow that is accessible and appealing to the curious novice. Highly recommended.
Terry J. Deveau



ALA College & Research Library News
Ancient Stone Sites of New England and the Debate over Early European Exploration, by David Goudsward (240 pages, July 2006), recounts the history of alleged pre-Columbian discoveries in the Northeast and the various theories that try to account for them. Goudsward remains admirably (almost frustratingly) objective on the topic, refusing to weigh in on whether any of the stone structures are pre-Columbian European, colonial, native, or hoaxes. Chapters cover supposed sacrificial stones, the Fall River skeleton in armor, Dighton Rock, the Newport Tower, Mystery Hill in North Salem, megalithic stone chambers, the Westford knight, runic inscriptions, and the Gungywamp stone complex. An appendix lists sites that are open to the public. $32.00. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-2462-1.