Gungywamp

41.39 - 72.06Koordinaten: 41 ° 23 ' 24 "N, 72 ° 3' 36 " W

Gungywamp is a 4 ha comprehensive archaeological site about 2 km from Groton in the State of Connecticut. There, on the one hand artifacts of Indians living there were dated to 2000-770 BC, on the other hand found there remains of the colonial period.

To the north of two stone chambers there is a stone circle of 21 arranged in two concentric circles stones of more than three meters in diameter. The checkers were interpreted as Lohmühle, with the help of tannin was recovered for leather processing, or parchment was made. These Vogt Indian Ledge Shelter site was excavated in the 1980s and early 90s, to a depth of 95 cm, where they came upon the bedrock. David Barron, founder of Gungywamp Society, led the excavations, where he State Archaeologist Dr. Nicholas Bellantoni consulted with the Connecticut.

In 25 cm depth was found sound artifacts of the late Woodland period, which dated from 1200-1600. These include arrowheads, called Susquehanna points found from the period 1500-500 BCE, with some organic remains could be dated to about 770 BC. At the height of the rocky soil, no datable remains could be found, so it is not clear how old the blades found there fragments and shattered stones, which apparently large fire had been exposed to heat. You may go back to the period around 2000 BC or more.

In a basement room, the " Calendar " Chamber, the equinox was read, because at that time was reached through a hole in the west wall, a wall niche away from sunlight. A little further away there was a row of upright stones, which extended north- south. On a the incised image of a bird with outstretched wings found. One of the great stones is the so-called echo rock that during the last ice age glaciers brought here.

In addition, numerous arrowheads, discounts and potsherds were found. From the colonial period were found pottery, buttons, coins, bottles and window glass, pipes, bricks and bones of animals, especially sheep. Few artifacts were found in the small houses made ​​of stones that originated in the early colonial period. He came to occupy a " maid" Johanna Adams to her father's house. Near the hearth was found a coin from 1742 with the inscription " Georgius ". This suggested the "U " in the name of the king out that it is an American coinage, because in England preferred to the "V". A small chamber is today interpreted as ice house, which served for the storage of the refrigerant in the warm season.

In the north- complex was found a rectangular Wall paragraph in which archaeologists on three sides logs found that pointed to an indigenous construction of young stems. Two hearths corroborated this assumption. Nearby there was an elongated mound grave, which was narrow in the middle and wide at the tips. On the grave three towering stones were. Overall, it was discovered within 19 of these graves, others were scattered onto nearby rocks. There are also three single menhir stones.

In the 17th century the area was apparently sons of Governor Winthrop and a family Christopher, who won iron here. In the early 20th century, some Narragansett or Pequot settled on the premises.

The historical imagination stimulated especially the sunken chambers of which it was assumed that they were from Irish monks.

1979 Gungywamp Society was founded. The access permission for the site given the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center.