Cupule Stone. Mystery Hill, North Salem NH

Small pieces of round colored paper, the approximate diameter of the drilled holes and cupules, were placed over their respectivie features to show the layout on the stone. Pink are small drilled holes done with a stone drill. Green are cupules. Yellow is a questionable cupule. The stone is borken into two peices. Its overall length is 5 feet. Scale is in inches. Arrow points east.

Excavation

The cupule stone was uncovered during an excavation in 1969 by NEARA. It is located on the north side of the Sunken Courtyard, and southeast of the collapsed chamber. Several small water washed peebles were found in the same stratigraphy layer as the cupule stone.

Reference:
“Mystery Hill Excavations”, By James Whittall Jr. NEARA Newsletter vol. 4 no. 4 Dec. 1969)

Drill Holes

The cupule stone is actually a combination of drilled holes and cupules. The photo shows one of the cone shaped drill holes. The top diameter of the hole ~ 1/4 inch and it tapers to a narrower point. The depth is ~ 1/4 inch. the holes appear to be drilled with a typical Native American drill. A total of nine confirmed drilled holes were found.

Cupules

The cupules are small half round depressions in the stone’s surface. They were pecked out and are rough to the touch. They range from 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in depth. 6 confirmed cupules were found and one highly questionable one. The small water worn pebbles found in the same layer may have been placed in the cupules possibly as part a ceremonial ritual.

Quartz Vein

The stone is of the local granite. A quartz vein runs diagonally across the middle of the stone dividing it into two sections. Drilled holes and cupules are found on both sides. The stone was probably chosen becuase of this important natural feature.