The enigmatic New Hampshire stone egg has puzzled geological experts and historians for decades.
Have You Heard of the Lake Winnipesaukee Mystery Stone?
Explore this historical artifact, one of the rare and mysterious stone eggs discovered globally.
Where Was the Lake Winnipesaukee Mystery Stone Found?
In 1872, construction workers in Meredith, New Hampshire, near Lake Winnipesaukee, unearthed an egg-shaped stone while working for Seneca A. Ladd, a local businessman. This unusual find left everyone perplexed. Ladd speculated it was an “Indian relic” and kept it for many years. After his death, his daughter donated it to the New Hampshire Historical Society in 1927. Due to its discovery near Lake Winnipesaukee, the Ladd family named it the “Mystery Stone of Lake Winnipesaukee.”
What is the Lake Winnipesaukee Mystery Stone?
The stone is four inches long and two and a half inches wide at its base. Crafted from quartzite, a smooth rock not native to New Hampshire, its surface is covered in pictographs, including arrows, a moon, spirals, an ear of corn, a face, and a tepee. These carvings suggest it might be a Native American artifact, though some researchers argue it could have Celtic or Inuit origins. Similar stone eggs have been found worldwide, but this is the first of its kind in the United States.
The most puzzling feature of the stone is the presence of smooth, non-tapered holes drilled into both ends and sides, indicating the use of modern tools. This raises questions about its origin and the possibility that it was altered by modern individuals. However, the etchings around the holes suggest they were part of the original design.
How Did the Lake Winnipesaukee Mystery Stone Come to Be?
The purpose of the Lake Winnipesaukee Mystery Stone remains a mystery. Wesley G. Balla, Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the New Hampshire Historical Society, received a letter suggesting the stone might be a thunder-stone, a type of artifact associated with mythology and folklore. These stones were thought to be thunderbolts that fell from the sky, later theorized to be tools of early man. The stone could have been an ancient tool, possibly mounted on a stick for use. Alternatively, it might have served as a storytelling device or a record-keeping tool for a tribe. Another theory suggests it marked a treaty between tribes, with the holes allowing it to be mounted on a stake. A less romantic but plausible theory is that the stone is a hoax, created by someone with modern tools for amusement in the 1800s.
Where Is the Lake Winnipesaukee Mystery Stone Today?
After being stored for a period, the Lake Winnipesaukee Mystery Stone is now back on long-term display at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord.
