Lake Winnipesaukee Mystery Stone

In the late 1872, a group of workers digging a fence post for Seneca Ladd near Lake Winnipesaukee discovered a strange egg-shaped artifact. Clearly not a work of nature, the stone was drilled through from end to end with two different sized tools, and polished smooth along its surface. At only 4 inches high and 2.5 inches wide, the stone was miniature but its intrigue was massive.

Besides its strange exterior and construction, the stone was also marked with bizarre symbols ranging deep into the abstract and evoking astronomical symbols along with a plain geometric egg-shaped face.

Initial explanations of the stone began from the simplest answer, stating it simply commemorated a peace treaty between tribes. However, this idea did not hold for long and shortly after it was hypothesized that the stone was in fact an ancient tool of some kind.

These hypotheses have failed to impress the masses, and skeptics on both sides have come to the table, as recent as the late 20th century. A recent analysis suggested that it was a hoax and the hole through the stone was too precise to have been crafted by ancient peoples. Unfortunately, that position simply gave way to explanations including extraterrestrials and further muddled the debate.

What can be said for certain is an unknown craftsman, likely in the mid to late 1800s, carved this strange egg shaped object, and that is has been a source fascination since. Today visitors can decide for themselves on a trip to the New Hampshire Historical Society where the stone has made its home for the last 85 years.