Knowledge

Dighton Rock

Source 📝

462:
his other statement that the characters are on "a mighty Rock." Greenwood gives the first reliable description, in 1730. He definitely says that the "indentures are not very considerable," and his drawing and his other statements prove that he had as much difficulty in making out the real characters as has ever been experienced since then. Even on the lowest part of the face, which alone does show evident signs of much wear, Mather's draughtsman, and Greenwood, and their next followers, were even less successful in making out apparent characters than have been some later observers. Sewall in 1768 and Kendall in 1807 made definite statements to the effect that the greater part of the lines were so much effaced as to make their decipherment impossible, or wholly subject to the fancy.
467: 475: 61: 412: 288: 1385: 48: 1397: 929: 1374: 821: 68: 379:. Delabarre stated that the markings were abbreviated Latin, and the message, translated into English, reads as follows: "I, Miguel Cortereal, 1511. In this place, by the will of God, I became a chief of the Indians." Hunter (2017) provides copious evidence and analysis debunking the Corte-Real origin myth. 461:
One thing is certain, that former descriptions of the depth of the incisions cannot be used as evidence for any change. The first who describes them calls them "deeply engraved" in 1690; but Cotton Mather had never seen the rock, so far as we know, and this statement of his is doubtless on a par with
262:
Among the other Curiosities of New-England, one is that of a mighty Rock, on a perpendicular side whereof by a River, which at High Tide covers part of it, there are very deeply Engraved, no man alive knows How or When about half a score Lines, near Ten Foot Long, and a foot and half broad, filled
196:("primarily lines, geometric shapes, and schematic drawings of people, along with writing, both verified and not."), carved designs of ancient and uncertain origin, and the controversy about their creators. In 1963, during construction of a 1012: 1320: 1315: 1310: 943: 1008: 988: 983: 978: 948: 283:
script, every fresh decipherer of which is enabled to educe a different meaning." Lowell made other references to the rock in his widely circulated satirical writing, and may thus have helped to popularize it.
998: 968: 870: 1432: 1003: 993: 973: 953: 495: 1342: 963: 958: 1347: 1295: 1175: 1129: 1062: 1225: 1200: 1160: 1088: 1057: 1036: 1305: 1241: 1210: 1165: 1150: 1145: 1300: 1205: 1195: 1098: 1215: 1190: 1180: 1155: 1108: 1093: 1083: 1067: 1041: 1251: 1246: 1220: 1185: 1170: 1113: 1103: 863: 457:
Although Mather described these as deeply cut, a statement which has been repeated to the present day, early reports suggested that this was not exactly the case. DelaBarre wrote:
1277: 1272: 1377: 879: 856: 216:
The boulder has the form of a slanted, six-sided block, approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) high, 9.5 feet (2.9 m) wide, and 11 feet (3.4 m) long. It is gray-brown
1267: 1352: 1422: 918: 908: 263:
with strange Characters: which would suggest as odd Thoughts about them that were here before us, as there are odd Shapes in that Elaborate Monument.
441:
acres (20.0 ha) of land adjacent to the rock to create a park. However, in 1951 the Massachusetts Legislature expropriated the same land for a
304:…who were known to have inscribed petroglyphs in rocks (a schematic face on the Dighton Rock is similar to an Indian petroglyph in Eastern Vermont) 275:' letters to newspapers should be written in its undeciphered script: "f letters must be written, profitable use might be made of the Dighton rock 106: 449:
now has an area of 100 acres (40 ha). The vicinity of Dighton Rock has been beautified and furnished with parking and picnic facilities.
1357: 1389: 685:
Archaeological Oddities: A Field Guide to Forty Claims of Lost Civilizations, Ancient Visitors, and Other Strange Sites in North America
788: 1437: 1427: 272: 60: 903: 717: 399: 649: 1442: 693: 683: 659: 619: 557: 832: 524: 205: 34: 299: 470:
An exact copy of all symbols or petroglyphes by the Historical Commission of Providence, Rhode Island, published 1830
749: 200:, state officials removed the rock from the river for preservation. It was installed in a museum in a nearby park, 267:
During the 19th century, many popular publications and public figures mentioned the rock. The poet and critic
848: 825: 500: 367:, who (after seeing Portuguese writing) believed that they then used the rock for their own inscriptions 250:. His drawing conflicts with the reports of others and the current markings on the rock. In 1690 Rev. 595: 722: 446: 201: 898: 631: 354: 185: 181: 94: 84: 838: 570: 466: 913: 893: 529: 482: 474: 1401: 268: 8: 368: 364: 338: 411: 287: 246:
Rev. John Danforth made a drawing of the petroglyphs, which has been preserved in the
152: 736: 689: 655: 615: 553: 420: 372: 545: 775:
The Place of the Stone: Dighton Rock and the erasure of America's Indigenous Past
47: 342: 247: 240: 228: 189: 878: 808:
The Place of Stone: Dighton Rock and the Erasure of America's Indigenous Past.
496:
National Register of Historic Places listings in Bristol County, Massachusetts
1416: 607: 424: 390: 346: 251: 177: 121: 108: 773:
Douglas Hunter: “Reconstructing the history of writing about Dighton Rock”
478: 276: 376: 320: 310: 217: 193: 442: 197: 1433:
National Register of Historic Places in Bristol County, Massachusetts
323:
in his "Election Sermon" as the "descendants of the sons of Japheth"
280: 224: 223:
of medium to coarse texture. The surface with the inscriptions has a
220: 612:
Encyclopedia of Dubious Archaeology: From Atlantis To The Walam Olum
550:
Encyclopedia of Dubious Archaeology: From Atlantis To The Walam Olum
328: 243: 598:
London, Trubner (1861), via Project Gutenberg- accessed 2007-12-08
519: 173: 928: 820: 384: 231:
to the northwest. It was found facing the water of the bay.
880:
U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
810:
Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2017.
750:"Dighton Rock A Study of the Written Rocks of New England" 835:, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation 295:
Hypotheses about the creation of the markings include:
371:
wrote that markings on the Dighton Rock suggest that
909:
History of the National Register of Historic Places
747: 541: 539: 1414: 536: 291:The rock in 2015 is on display in a small museum 1390:National Register of Historic Places portal 715: 568: 864: 839:Edward Brecher, "The Enigma of Dighton Rock" 688:. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 35–38. 176:, originally located in the riverbed of the 1423:Landforms of Bristol County, Massachusetts 871: 857: 46: 786: 452: 35:U.S. National Register of Historic Places 777:University of North Carolina Press, 2017 647: 473: 465: 410: 286: 234: 400:1421: The Year China Discovered America 256:The Wonderful Works of God Commemorated 1415: 520:"National Register Information System" 852: 681: 341:. Rejected by archaeologists such as 525:National Register of Historic Places 206:National Register of Historic Places 67: 793:. John Wilson and Son. p. 409. 512: 300:Indigenous peoples of North America 13: 800: 421:Miguel Corte-Real Memorial Society 14: 1454: 814: 1438:Rock formations of Massachusetts 1395: 1383: 1373: 1372: 927: 819: 787:Delabarre, Edmund Burke (1919). 204:. In 1971, it was listed on the 66: 59: 1428:North American runestone hoaxes 780: 767: 741: 730: 254:described the rock in his book 845:, June 1958, Volume 9, Issue 4 790:Recent History Of Dighton Rock 709: 675: 641: 624: 601: 588: 562: 184:(formerly part of the town of 147: 1: 552:, page 80 (Greenwood, 2010). 406: 211: 1443:Petroglyphs in Massachusetts 748:Edmund B. Delabarre (1928). 614:, page 81(Greenwood, 2010). 571:"The Enigma Of Dighton Rock" 569:Edward Brecher (June 1958). 506: 501:Newport Tower (Rhode Island) 16:United States historic place 7: 1353:National Historic Landmarks 726:. Brown University Library. 489: 481:(mirror-reversed) image of 445:. More land was purchased. 10: 1459: 1348:Cape Cod National Seashore 682:Feder, Kenneth L. (2019). 1368: 1335: 1288: 1260: 1234: 1138: 1122: 1076: 1050: 1029: 1022: 936: 925: 886: 485:on Dighton Rock (c. 1853) 158: 146:NRHP reference  145: 137: 100: 90: 80: 54: 45: 41: 32: 25: 21: 1402:United States portal 716:Martha Mitchell (1993). 651:A History of the Vikings 648:Kendrick, T. D. (2012). 632:"The Missing Phylactery" 596:The Biglow Papers (VIII) 227:face and is inclined 70 833:Dighton Rock State Park 723:Encyclopedia Brunoniana 654:. Courier Corporation. 447:Dighton Rock State Park 273:presidential candidates 202:Dighton Rock State Park 122:41.8127556°N 71.11056°W 899:Keeper of the Register 718:"Delabarre, Edmund B." 486: 471: 464: 453:Depths of inscriptions 419:In November 1952, the 416: 292: 265: 182:Berkley, Massachusetts 95:Dighton, Massachusetts 85:Berkley, Massachusetts 914:National Park Service 894:Contributing property 828:at Wikimedia Commons 530:National Park Service 477: 469: 459: 414: 290: 260: 235:History and mythology 127:41.8127556; -71.11056 269:James Russell Lowell 532:. January 23, 2007. 365:Edmund B. Delabarre 339:Carl Christian Rafn 118: /  487: 472: 417: 293: 1410: 1409: 1331: 1330: 1030:Barnstable County 904:Historic district 843:American Heritage 824:Media related to 695:978-1-5381-0597-9 661:978-0-486-12342-4 620:978-0-313-37919-2 594:Lowell, James R. 575:American Heritage 558:978-0-313-37919-2 373:Miguel Corte-Real 192:is noted for its 166: 165: 1450: 1400: 1399: 1398: 1388: 1387: 1386: 1376: 1375: 1289:Worcester County 1139:Middlesex County 1027: 1026: 931: 873: 866: 859: 850: 849: 823: 806:Douglas Hunter, 795: 794: 784: 778: 771: 765: 764: 762: 760: 745: 739: 734: 728: 727: 713: 707: 706: 704: 702: 679: 673: 672: 670: 668: 645: 639: 638: 636: 628: 622: 608:Kenneth L. Feder 605: 599: 592: 586: 585: 583: 581: 566: 560: 546:Kenneth L. Feder 543: 534: 533: 516: 440: 439: 435: 432: 149: 133: 132: 130: 129: 128: 123: 119: 116: 115: 114: 111: 70: 69: 63: 50: 19: 18: 1458: 1457: 1453: 1452: 1451: 1449: 1448: 1447: 1413: 1412: 1411: 1406: 1396: 1394: 1384: 1382: 1364: 1327: 1284: 1256: 1230: 1134: 1118: 1072: 1046: 1018: 937:Lists by county 932: 923: 882: 877: 817: 803: 801:Further reading 798: 785: 781: 772: 768: 758: 756: 746: 742: 735: 731: 714: 710: 700: 698: 696: 680: 676: 666: 664: 662: 646: 642: 634: 630: 629: 625: 606: 602: 593: 589: 579: 577: 567: 563: 544: 537: 518: 517: 513: 509: 492: 455: 437: 433: 430: 428: 409: 271:suggested that 237: 214: 126: 124: 120: 117: 112: 109: 107: 105: 104: 76: 75: 74: 73: 72: 71: 37: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1456: 1446: 1445: 1440: 1435: 1430: 1425: 1408: 1407: 1405: 1404: 1392: 1380: 1369: 1366: 1365: 1363: 1362: 1361: 1360: 1350: 1345: 1339: 1337: 1333: 1332: 1329: 1328: 1326: 1325: 1324: 1323: 1318: 1313: 1303: 1298: 1292: 1290: 1286: 1285: 1283: 1282: 1281: 1280: 1275: 1264: 1262: 1261:Suffolk County 1258: 1257: 1255: 1254: 1249: 1244: 1238: 1236: 1235:Norfolk County 1232: 1231: 1229: 1228: 1223: 1218: 1213: 1208: 1203: 1198: 1193: 1188: 1183: 1178: 1173: 1168: 1163: 1158: 1153: 1148: 1142: 1140: 1136: 1135: 1133: 1132: 1126: 1124: 1123:Hampden County 1120: 1119: 1117: 1116: 1111: 1106: 1101: 1096: 1091: 1086: 1080: 1078: 1074: 1073: 1071: 1070: 1065: 1060: 1054: 1052: 1051:Bristol County 1048: 1047: 1045: 1044: 1039: 1033: 1031: 1024: 1020: 1019: 1017: 1016: 1006: 1001: 996: 991: 986: 981: 976: 971: 966: 961: 956: 951: 946: 940: 938: 934: 933: 926: 924: 922: 921: 919:Property types 916: 911: 906: 901: 896: 890: 888: 884: 883: 876: 875: 868: 861: 853: 847: 846: 836: 816: 815:External links 813: 812: 811: 802: 799: 797: 796: 779: 766: 740: 737:DelaBarre 1928 729: 708: 694: 674: 660: 640: 623: 600: 587: 561: 535: 510: 508: 505: 504: 503: 498: 491: 488: 454: 451: 408: 405: 404: 403: 387: 381: 380: 357: 351: 350: 343:T. D. Kendrick 331: 325: 324: 313: 306: 305: 302: 248:British Museum 236: 233: 213: 210: 164: 163: 160: 156: 155: 150: 143: 142: 139: 135: 134: 102: 98: 97: 92: 88: 87: 82: 78: 77: 65: 64: 58: 57: 56: 55: 52: 51: 43: 42: 39: 38: 33: 30: 29: 26: 23: 22: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1455: 1444: 1441: 1439: 1436: 1434: 1431: 1429: 1426: 1424: 1421: 1420: 1418: 1403: 1393: 1391: 1381: 1379: 1371: 1370: 1367: 1359: 1356: 1355: 1354: 1351: 1349: 1346: 1344: 1341: 1340: 1338: 1334: 1322: 1319: 1317: 1314: 1312: 1309: 1308: 1307: 1304: 1302: 1299: 1297: 1294: 1293: 1291: 1287: 1279: 1276: 1274: 1271: 1270: 1269: 1266: 1265: 1263: 1259: 1253: 1250: 1248: 1245: 1243: 1240: 1239: 1237: 1233: 1227: 1224: 1222: 1219: 1217: 1214: 1212: 1209: 1207: 1204: 1202: 1199: 1197: 1194: 1192: 1189: 1187: 1184: 1182: 1179: 1177: 1174: 1172: 1169: 1167: 1164: 1162: 1159: 1157: 1154: 1152: 1149: 1147: 1144: 1143: 1141: 1137: 1131: 1128: 1127: 1125: 1121: 1115: 1112: 1110: 1107: 1105: 1102: 1100: 1097: 1095: 1092: 1090: 1087: 1085: 1082: 1081: 1079: 1075: 1069: 1066: 1064: 1061: 1059: 1056: 1055: 1053: 1049: 1043: 1040: 1038: 1035: 1034: 1032: 1028: 1025: 1023:Lists by city 1021: 1014: 1010: 1007: 1005: 1002: 1000: 997: 995: 992: 990: 987: 985: 982: 980: 977: 975: 972: 970: 967: 965: 962: 960: 957: 955: 952: 950: 947: 945: 942: 941: 939: 935: 930: 920: 917: 915: 912: 910: 907: 905: 902: 900: 897: 895: 892: 891: 889: 885: 881: 874: 869: 867: 862: 860: 855: 854: 851: 844: 840: 837: 834: 831: 830: 829: 827: 822: 809: 805: 804: 792: 791: 783: 776: 770: 755: 751: 744: 738: 733: 725: 724: 719: 712: 697: 691: 687: 686: 678: 663: 657: 653: 652: 644: 633: 627: 621: 617: 613: 609: 604: 597: 591: 576: 572: 565: 559: 555: 551: 547: 542: 540: 531: 527: 526: 521: 515: 511: 502: 499: 497: 494: 493: 484: 480: 476: 468: 463: 458: 450: 448: 444: 426: 425:New York City 422: 413: 402: 401: 396: 392: 391:Gavin Menzies 389:…proposed by 388: 386: 383: 382: 378: 374: 370: 366: 362: 359:…proposed in 358: 356: 353: 352: 348: 347:Kenneth Feder 344: 340: 336: 333:…proposed in 332: 330: 327: 326: 322: 318: 315:…proposed in 314: 312: 308: 307: 303: 301: 298: 297: 296: 289: 285: 282: 278: 274: 270: 264: 259: 257: 253: 252:Cotton Mather 249: 245: 242: 239:In 1680, the 232: 230: 226: 222: 219: 209: 207: 203: 199: 195: 191: 187: 183: 179: 178:Taunton River 175: 171: 161: 159:Added to NRHP 157: 154: 151: 144: 140: 136: 131: 110:41°48′45.92″N 103: 99: 96: 93: 89: 86: 83: 79: 62: 53: 49: 44: 40: 36: 31: 24: 20: 1321:southwestern 1316:northwestern 1077:Essex County 842: 826:Dighton Rock 818: 807: 789: 782: 774: 769: 757:. Retrieved 753: 743: 732: 721: 711: 699:. Retrieved 684: 677: 665:. Retrieved 650: 643: 626: 611: 603: 590: 578:. Retrieved 574: 564: 549: 523: 514: 483:Seth Eastman 479:Daguerrotype 460: 456: 418: 398: 394: 360: 334: 316: 294: 277:hieroglyphic 266: 261: 255: 238: 215: 172:is a 40-ton 170:Dighton Rock 169: 167: 162:July 1, 1980 91:Nearest city 27:Dighton Rock 1336:Other lists 1296:Southbridge 1176:Marlborough 1130:Springfield 1063:New Bedford 759:October 26, 754:Walter Neal 701:20 December 667:20 December 377:New England 321:Ezra Stiles 311:Phoenicians 225:trapezoidal 218:crystalline 194:petroglyphs 125: / 101:Coordinates 1417:Categories 1226:Winchester 1201:Somerville 1161:Framingham 1089:Gloucester 1058:Fall River 1037:Barnstable 944:Barnstable 443:State Park 407:State park 355:Portuguese 212:Appearance 198:coffer dam 1306:Worcester 1242:Brookline 1211:Wakefield 1166:Lexington 1151:Cambridge 1146:Arlington 1009:Worcester 989:Nantucket 984:Middlesex 979:Hampshire 949:Berkshire 580:August 2, 507:Footnotes 427:acquired 415:Park sign 369:Delabarre 281:cuneiform 221:sandstone 113:71°6′38″W 1378:Category 1301:Uxbridge 1278:southern 1273:northern 1206:Stoneham 1196:Sherborn 1099:Lawrence 1013:northern 999:Plymouth 969:Franklin 490:See also 375:reached 309:Ancient 244:colonist 208:(NRHP). 153:80000438 81:Location 1343:Bridges 1311:eastern 1216:Waltham 1191:Reading 1181:Medford 1156:Concord 1109:Methuen 1094:Ipswich 1084:Andover 1068:Taunton 1042:Harwich 1004:Suffolk 994:Norfolk 974:Hampden 954:Bristol 436:⁄ 393:in his 385:Chinese 279:or the 241:English 229:degrees 188:). The 186:Dighton 174:boulder 1358:Boston 1268:Boston 1252:Quincy 1247:Milton 1221:Weston 1186:Newton 1171:Lowell 887:Topics 692:  658:  618:  556:  1114:Salem 964:Essex 959:Dukes 635:(PDF) 397:book 329:Norse 138:Built 1104:Lynn 761:2014 703:2019 690:ISBN 669:2019 656:ISBN 616:ISBN 582:2011 554:ISBN 395:2002 361:1912 345:and 335:1837 317:1783 190:rock 168:The 141:1964 423:of 363:by 337:by 319:by 180:at 148:No. 1419:: 841:, 752:. 720:. 610:, 573:. 548:, 538:^ 528:. 522:. 429:49 258:: 1015:) 1011:( 872:e 865:t 858:v 763:. 705:. 671:. 637:. 584:. 438:2 434:1 431:+ 349:.

Index

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Dighton Rock is located in Massachusetts
Berkley, Massachusetts
Dighton, Massachusetts
41°48′45.92″N 71°6′38″W / 41.8127556°N 71.11056°W / 41.8127556; -71.11056
80000438
boulder
Taunton River
Berkley, Massachusetts
Dighton
rock
petroglyphs
coffer dam
Dighton Rock State Park
National Register of Historic Places
crystalline
sandstone
trapezoidal
degrees
English
colonist
British Museum
Cotton Mather
James Russell Lowell
presidential candidates
hieroglyphic
cuneiform

Indigenous peoples of North America

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.