1990.082.2
Located in West Andover, Turtle Mound may be the oldest stone structure in America. This lovely collection of rocks overlooks Haggetts Pond. An aerial view of the mound resembles a turtle. By going inside the turtle, like this woman is doing, you can step into two stone 8-by-10 rooms.
Turtle Mound used to be on the property of M. Harnois. Harnois built a shrine inside of the caves in 1914. There is still evidence of the shrine today.
In 1951, Frank Glynn, a Yale archeologist, uncovered the history of Turtle Mound by using carbon dating. Glynn found a layer of charcoal and human bones on the ground, indicating the cave was used for creamation and ceremonies. Glynn also discovered that the cave has been around since 2000 B.C., and he even found prehistoric tools, like spear heads and drills. So if you’re ever in West Andover and in need of an outdoor ceremony…
Source: http://www.mhl.org/answers/index.php/Turtle_Mound
