[MassHistPres] Carved [survey?] stones found in Central Mass

[Dennis De Witt]

Are they in a straight line?

Could they not be distance markers but rather an industrial measuring  
artifact of some sort.

Did anyone ever make rope nearby?

Could they be for judging the speed of horses -- or some similar use?

Is there anything where the #zero stone would be?

Dennis De Witt


On Nov 28, 2008, at 9:02 PM, Cupfish Cupfish wrote:

> In Oakham, our town Hist. Comm. folks are evaluating a series of  
> about a dozen carved stones set alongside a side road.  The stones  
> are numbered 22 through 36, natural uncut granite, approximately 10"  
> across, 4" deep, with 9" showing above ground level.  Each stone is  
> securely sunk in the ground, and has an auger hole drilled about  
> 1/2" down in the top of the marker.  The letters are about 5" high,  
> not cut in deep relief all facing the road.  There are a couple  
> numbers in the sequence missing, but it is clearly a grouping of  
> markers.
>
> There is another marker far down the road from the cluster numbered  
> 22 thru 36; we think it is a very low number but it's behind a  
> fenceline.
>
> The spacing between the markers is typically one chain.  A chain is  
> a surveyor's measuring unit where 1 chain = 66', or 10 rods.  FYI a  
> 10 chain x 10 chain area is one acre; this measuring system  
> (Gunter's I think?) originated in England.  A couple of the markers  
> are spaced more than one chain apart.
>
> The markers do not necessarily follow the course of the stone walls;  
> in one place the stone wall is built over the marker.  The markers  
> very well may predate the stone walls; they may even predate the  
> road, but that's debatable.
>
> There is more information to share, but I don't want to overpost.
>
> 1) Has anyone seen markers that appear to define a land boundary,  
> not a mile marker or distance measurement?
> 2) 2 photos are attached -- hope that's okay to do. The files are  
> kind of big, I think.
> 3) Why go to all this trouble in a small, specific location in an  
> always-rural corner of a tiny town?
> 4) What archeological resources are available to help understand the  
> markers?
> <marker34.jpg><marker33.jpg>******************************
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