The Narragansett Rune Stone - North Kingstown, RI
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 41° 34.203 W 071° 27.094
19T E 295598 N 4604943
The runestone, bearing marks that could have come from a Viking during an exploration or from people from more contemporary times, was first found at a location north of here and moved here in October 2015.
Waymark Code: WMQD25
Location: Rhode Island, United States
Date Posted: 02/07/2016
Views: 13
In the Wickford section of North Kingstown, is this sign next to a boulder that has runes on it.
The boulder and marker are located on the edge of a parking lot in back of a building that once was the library. Access to the parking lot is further north, just before a bridge over a waterway.
The boulder is roughly six by six by six feet of solid rock. The runes are clearly visible on the rock. The rock is bounded by a wood railing. By this railiing is this historical sign, which has the following on it:
"The Narragansett Rune Stone
Geological and aerial photo studies have shown this large meta-sandstone boulder, with its curious inscription, ended up in the intertidal zone of Narragansett Bay just south of Pojac Point in North Kingstown, at 41 deg 38.90 N and 71 deg 24.48 W most probably as the result of erosion brought about by the fabled 1938 hurricane. The earliest known eyewitness accounts of the inscription dates from 1948, at which time neighborhood children began calling it Indian Rock due to the characters inscribed upon it. This rock, as itwas submerged for the majority of daily tidal cycles, was known only to the locals until 1984 when a quahogger, working from his skiff, noticed the inscription. He notified researchers interested in Norse runic inscriptions in North America, setting the stage for the numerous attempts at an explanation ever since.
Some believe it is a record of a visit to Narragansett Bay by the Vikings or other Norsemen, or Icelandic explorers/trappers, still others a voyage by the Knights Templar. Some believe it was more likely rendered by immigrants to our area, out of national pride, in the 19th-20th centuries.
The Stone disappeared in 2012. It was recovered by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management in 2013 and was installed here in Wickford in 2015. Although no one can say with complete certainty exactly by whom or when these intriguing Runic symbols were carved into this stone, it is safe to say, as quoted from Professor Henrik Williams of Uppsala University in Sweden, the rune stone is 'of considerable cultural significance to Rhode Island and New England, not the lease because of the controversy, mystery, and even intrigue connected with it.'"
In the bottom right are three logos: University of Sweden, RI Department of Environmental Management, and the New England Antiques Research Association (NEARA).
There are four pictures.
The first has a person looking at a rock on shore. The caption is as follows: "Spring 1985 taken during and extreme moon tide. Pictured is Tom Hardy (NEARA Member) upon first inspection of the Rune Stone. Photograph provided by Charles Devine-Member of NEARA."
The second picture shows the rock on the beach more in water. The caption is as follows: "Summer 1985 Photograph of the Rune Stone showing the northern view along the shoreline. Photograph provided by Charles Devine-Member of NEARA."
The third picture shows the runes. The caption is as follows: "Spring 1985-Photograph of the Runic characters upon inspection of them after the Narragansett Rune Stone was reported to be discovered. Noted the barnacles that naturally fill in the characters to show how they stand out. Photograph provided by Charles Devine-Member of NEARA."
The fourth pictures shows the runes again. The caption is as follows: Fall 2014-Photograph of the Runic Characters on the Stone. Note the significant dot after the last character on the second line signifying a word separator. Photograph provided by Scott Wolter-Forensic Geologist, Petrographer and Author."
Organization that Placed the Marker: RI DEM and others
Year Marker was Placed: 10/15/2015
Related Website: [Web Link]
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