What is a megalithic monument? In short, this is a group of stones that are arranged in a certain order. This phenomenon is quite common. Almost on all continents except Antarctica.
The megalithic structure in Salem, New Hampshire, USA occupies a special place on this list. It is even called "American Stonehenge". Why? The point is not only that these megaliths are very reminiscent of the famous British stones. Both monuments are closely related to astronomy. Which arouses additional interest among researchers.
For the first time they began to talk about American Stonehenge in the thirties of the twentieth century. William Goodwin worked as an insurance consultant and probably knew little about history. Having bought a piece of land on which they were located, he gave a simple name to the cluster of stones - Mystery Hil ("Mystical hill").
Research began only in the 50s. The new owner of the land, Robert Stone, was already engaged in this. First, it was necessary to name the date of construction of the megaliths. This turned out to be quite problematic. Radiocarbon analysis of charcoal showed a rather long period. It began around 2000 BC and lasted for about two millennia.
Has this structure been built for so long? It is quite possible, given that one culture replaced another and could add something new to American Stonehenge.
Researchers Louis Winkler and Alan Hill pay particular attention to the role of astronomy in unraveling the mystery of this megalith. It is believed that the position of the stones corresponds to the stars in the sky about 2000 years ago. You can even find the midpoints between the solstices and equinoxes. The monument was created before Columbus discovered America. This means that the Indians were well versed in astronomy. However, no one doubts the latter, given the Mayan calendar.
And here the fun begins. Attempts are being made to compare this monument in the United States with the Celts who lived in Europe thousands of years ago. The first such idea was put forward by the landowner Robert Stone, who co-authored the book American Stonehenge: The History of Mystery Hill from the Ice Age to the Stone Age with David Goodward.
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The authors are trying to prove that the inscriptions on the stones are of Celtic origin. This was criticized immediately. However, no one has been able to offer another more convincing version until today.
Of course, the megaliths in the United States and Britain are somewhat similar to each other, but this does not mean that they were created by representatives of the same culture. There must be additional evidence. For example, the settlements of the Celts in America, as well as other artifacts of their culture, and not the Indian. However, this will not convince the fans of sensations.
Over the past decades, no significant breakthroughs have been made on this issue. The riddle is waiting for its new researchers. In the meantime, everyone can go to the United States and see the American Stonehenge. By the way, this tour will be paid.