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Burlington, MA - Route 62 Chamber

A Stone Chamber in Burlington, Massachusetts

By Mary Gage

Location

The chamber is located on busy Route 62 across from Tami Lane on a historic house property, abutting a sportsmen club property to the north. The chamber is a low roofed stone building and from the front it looks like a stone wall with a square hole in it. Upon close inspection the hole is an entrance to the chamber that extends outward from the wall on the off side from the road into a paddock area.

Construction & Architectural Features

A stone wall with large heavy boulders extends out on either side of the chamber’s entrance. The chamber is above ground and was constructed of rectangular blocks and boulders using a dry masonry method. The walls have small irregular openings where the stone does not fit tightly together. The walls were not chinked with small stones. They may have been originally been chinked with moss or other soft material.

The entrance passage exhibits finished workmanship. It was built of two rectangular blocks of stone placed one on top of the other on either side to form a 2’5” wide x 3’ long x 2’1” high rectangular shaped entrance. A 3’W x 5’L rectangular lintel stone forms a roof over the entrance. A thin flat rectangular paving stone was laid down on the dirt as flooring in the entrance passage. The entrance leads into a single interior room with features.

The exterior of the chamber is completely exposed. A single large stone slab 5’9” wide x 6’ long x 7” thick forms the roof (fig. 1). It overlaps the lintel stone. The roof slab and lintel are closely matched with the roof slab’s 5’9” width overlapping the back edge of the lintel’s 5’ length. On the top where the roof meets the lintel is a quartz stone feature.

In the exterior wall there is one feature a shaft-like opening from the exterior to the interior. The shaft-like opening has a wall stone with a flat side placed on an angle. It 6” wide x 12” long x 8” high

The interior of room is three feet six inches high, comfortable for a person to sit upright. The room from back of entrance to back wall is 5’ 6” long. The width varies, at the back it is three feet wide, in the middle it is four feet wide. The wall on right (east side) of entrance is straight. The back wall is straight. The wall to left (west side) of entrance is indented into a large V shape (it bows outward). The shaft-like opening is in the wall with large V indentation close to the entrance on west side. One of the four stones that make up the V indentation is a white block. Across from the shaft-like opening is a second small V indentation on top of base stone in entrance. A flashlight with a variable light beam when placed in the shaft-like opening shined its narrow light beam into the small V indentation on right of entrance. Above the entrance on the interior is a second white block of stone. It is next to the small V indentation.

The floor of the interior room is earth and has several features. There is a depression in the floor approximately in the middle along the wall on east side. Inside just beyond the end of entrance there is a thin flat rectangular slab 1’6” long x 9” wide next the floor depression. Next to the large V indentation in wall on west side is a thin flat rectangular slab 1’3” long x 1’5” wide next to the floor depression.  These stone slabs are large enough for a person to sit on. Next to the back wall are two flat triangular stones 7” long at peak x 8” wide at base and 10” long at peak x 10” wide at base. In the entrance there is a rectangular paving slab 1’5” wide x 2’10” long x 1½” thick.

Outside of the chamber and slightly to the left of the entrance are short standing stones. One is a rectangular slab 2’5” long x 1’8” high x 4” thick. Second is triangular stone 1’ long x 2½”wide x 6” high. The triangle is in front of the rectangle with a short distance between the two standing stones.
 

Fig. 7 - A triangular and rectangular standing stone are placed just outside of the chamber entrance.

Fig. 1 - Exterior view of the rear of chamber looking towards the southwest.

Fig. 2 - Entrance passage into chamber. It has well constructed finished side walls. A paving stone is flush with the ground.

Fig. 3 (above) - Exterior view of shaft feature.
Fig. 4 (left) - Interior view of shaft feature looking outward.

Fig. 5 - Plan of Chamber

Fig. 6 - Interior of Chamber

Analysis

Stone structure analysis is based on construction techniques, architectural features, and size. Every wall stone needs to be treated as potential architectural features in data collection.

Shapes – Color – Quartz - Components

Shapes:

Rectangular & Triangular – used to block out uninvited spirits from entering the chamber
V shape – a spirit portal to the Underworld 

Color:

White – used to block out uninvited spirits from entering the V shaped Underworld spirit portal
 
Quartz:

On exterior next to shaft/spirit portal to block out uninvited spirits from entering the spirit portal

Components:

Chamber – an Underworld structure with access to Outer Underworld, the interior of chamber and access to Inner Underworld via Underworld spirit portals.

V-shaped indentations in walls – two were found one (large) at ground level and second (small) is on top of a base stone in line with shaft/spirit portal. The ground level Underworld spirit portal was used to invite Underworld Spirit into the chamber in the Outer Underworld. Underworld Spirit used this portal to exit the Inner Underworld into the Outer Underworld. Second Underworld spirit portal was used by Sun Spirit to enter the Inner Underworld.

Shaft-like opening from exterior to interior wall – a spirit portal for Sun Spirit to leave Upperworld and enter the Outer Underworld inside the chamber. Shaft portal functioned in conjunction with the small V shaped Underworld spirit portal.

Depression in earthen floor – a second type of Underworld spirit portal to the Inner Underworld. It was used by Underworld Spirit to re-enter the Inner Underworld. It functioned in conjunction with the large V shaped Underworld spirit portal.

Standing stones outside of chamber – a rectangular and triangular set of standing stones used to block out uninvited spirits from entering the chamber

Paving/floor stones – kept the spirit of the people (shamans) entering the chamber from accessing the Inner Underworld. A single paving stone was used in entrance. Two rectangular paving stones large enough for people to sit on were on the floor inside. This suggests two shamans went inside to conduct the ceremony.

Symbolism, Spirits, Balance

Each shape, color, quartz, component was used in a symbolic manner. Through symbolic use of features the Native Americans conveyed to each other and passed on from one generation to the next, cultural ideas. That same use of symbolism was conveyed to the spirits who they were working with. Spirits are living beings with intelligence and understanding like human beings who respond to being assisted and directed for the common good. In other words, the spirits willingly worked with the people.

Spirits are recognized through symbolic features. The shaft – spirit portal was set up to function with the winter sunset alignment. It brings a beam of light into the chamber at sunset on the winter solstice. The V shaped indentation in the west wall is at ground level and accompanied by a white stone. From the study done for the
America’s Stonehenge Deciphered book it is known this feature is an Underworld spirit portal used by Underworld Spirit. Only the spirits invited to the ceremony were allowed inside the chamber. To keep out all other uninvited spirits and to keep invited spirits from entering the wrong spirit portal triangles and rectangles were used plus the color white and quartz. This tells us other spirits were known to be in the area but not the name of those spirits.
 
This chamber was also designed to be in-balance. Balance is a concept created by two parts. Balance permeates every aspect connected with this chamber.  There are two V-shaped spirit portals, two white stones, two spirits, roof has two slabs (roof stone and lintel stone), entrance has a paving stone and interior has paving stones (two parts with unequal numbers), a pair of symbolic standing stones the rectangle & triangle, and an Upperworld spirit and an Underworld spirit. The two V-shaped spirit portals each have a separate task one is an entrance and other is an exit. They are arranged to function with two different spirits and two other spirit portals. The two spirits each came from a different world Sun Spirit from Upperworld and Underworld Spirit from Underworld. This created balance between Upperworld and Underworld as both were represented which in turn created a set of two. Two people probably shamans holding the ceremony balanced the two spirits. Balance was at the core of this chamber and the ceremony that took place here. Every feature was arranged to fit the balance concept. Balance was a core cultural belief.

Do any of the elements exist at other stone structure sites?

America’s Stonehenge, southeastern New Hampshire
White stone blocks in interior of chamber
Pair of triangle and rectangle – used in standing stone positions and flat on ground
Matching rectangular stones to form V-shaped indentation
Square storage chamber with single roof slab
Shaft from exterior to interior – used as a speaking tube
Paving Stones

Gungywamp, southeastern Connecticut
Shaft from exterior to interior – used in a solar alignment to interior of chamber
Paving Stones

Lochmere, central New Hampshire
Short lengths of stone wall block entrances.

Hampstead & Northwood, New Hampshire, Hopkinton, Rhode Island
Each town has cairn sites. Within the cairn sites are individual cairns with deliberate depressions built into the top of a few cairns.

Each of the features found in the Burlington, MA Chamber are also found at stone structure sites throughout New England. In addition the sites at Gungywamp and America’s Stonehenge exhibit strong use of balance by incorporating two parts.

Why was the structure built?

The chamber was built and designed to hold a winter solstice sunset ceremony where people assisted the Sun Spirit in leaving Upperworld and entering Inner Underworld for part of the year. During the ceremony Underworld Spirit was invited to be at the ceremony as host spirit. Sun Spirit was the guest spirit in Underworld.

A sunset ceremony with a very similar set up was used at the Gungywamp Site in Connecticut. In the Gungywamp ceremony Underworld Spirit is called into the Outer Underworld, main room of chamber from outside via people entrance from an outside Underworld spirit portal. Sun Spirit is called into the Outer Underworld, main room of chamber from outside via a shaft from exterior to interior. Both the spirits once inside the main room of chamber are ushered into a small chamber inside the large chamber. Small chamber is where Sun Spirit and Underworld both enter the Inner Underworld. Here the Underworld Spirit assists the Sun Spirit in entering the Inner Underworld where both spirits use the same Inner Underworld spirit portal.

At America’s Stonehenge in southeastern New Hampshire a summer solstice sunset ceremony was held outside with exposed bedrock split stone spirit portals for the spirits to enter the Inner Underworld. Here Sun Spirit used one spirit portal at west end of cliff. Underworld Spirit returned to the Inner Underworld via a spirit portal associated with the ravine on east end of site. The two spirits were kept separate during the ceremony and each entered the Inner Underworld at separate spirit portals. Of note, sunrise and mid-day alignments did take place inside chambers at America’s Stonehenge. However, all sunset alignments took place outside.  

The Burlington Chamber ceremony has traits from both Connecticut and New Hampshire. The shaft-opening for the sunset alignment and Sun Spirit to enter the chamber is a trait from Connecticut. The two separate spirit portals, for each spirit to enter Inner Underworld during a sunset ceremony is a trait from New Hampshire.

Could this chamber be a farm structure?

The wall which the chamber is embedded in is part of a walled-in area to keep livestock. The entrance to the chamber faces out on the opposite side of the livestock area. The next thought may be was it used for chickens or hogs. For either the chicken or hog there must be access to the structure to be able to clean out the manure and with the chickens to collect the eggs. The only access is to crawl on hands and knees through the two foot one inch high entrance on a manure covered surface to get inside the structure to clean it or collect eggs on a daily basis. On a practical level the structure is not useful to any farming activity.

On the Miner Farm in Hopkinton, RI the land has been farmed since the 1700’s. By the early 1900’s through word-of-mouth, it has been pasted down that the stone cairns and small chambers (niches) on the property have always been there. Nobody knows who built them, they are simply there. Each new owner has been made aware of them and ultimately left them alone as they are curiosities. The author recently had an opportunity to tour the farm and see these cairns. Not all farmers as can be seen destroy unknown stone structures some maintain them by simply leaving them alone.

Dating

The traits from America’s Stonehenge in New Hampshire began to be used circa 500 A.D. The traits from Gungywamp in Connecticut are found in a chamber associated with a dated feature called the Double Stone Circle. The circle was built circa 500 A.D.  At America’s Stonehenge the sunset ceremony where Sun Spirit entered the Inner Underworld took place up until circa 800 A.D. After 800 A.D. changes were made at America’s Stonehenge and Sun Spirit no longer went into the Underworld at the sunset ceremony. At Gungywamp the sunset ceremony took place up until 1350 A.D. The Burlington, MA chamber uses traits from both America’s Stonehenge and Gungywamp. This suggests the Burlington chamber was built during a time range of between 500 A.D. and 800 A.D. How long it remained in use is not known as the Sun Spirit in Connecticut continued to enter the Underworld for part of the year up until 1350 A.D. when it suddenly stopped.

Conclusion

The chamber was built and used by Native Americans for a sunset ceremony in which Sun Spirit leaves the Upperworld and enters the Underworld. Its use of traits from the south and north show the people who built it actively communicated through trade and/or travel with their neighbors beyond their own territory.  Ideas were generously shared. A general cultural belief in balance appears to have been inherited with each group or band. The balance concept is strictly adhered to whereas the actual ceremony was sometimes created by mixing and matching as seen here. The ceremonies and the spirits involved were not the sole ownership of one group. The spirits in particular were apart of everyone’s group or band. They were universal. It was knowledge of the ceremony and ceremonial structure that was passed on, along with ideas on how to work with the spirits. Through sharing more groups participated in certain ceremonies thus helping to insure and maintain balance and harmony with the spirits and thus the natural world.

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Copyright (c) 2005-2008, James E. Gage & Mary E. Gage. All Rights Reserved.