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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 10166
[Archaeology]
Date Posted:
6/13/2004
9:10:12 am EDT
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Views: 5,973
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Comments: 3
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Historian To Unearth Secrets Of Newport Tower
Author: Lisa Gentes, Associated Press Source: Woonsocketcall.com (RI)
Title: HISTORIAN TO UNEARTH SECRETS OF NEWPORT TOWER
It's hard to miss the old stone tower in Newport's Touro Park.
But its origins -- and what might be underneath it --- remain a mystery.
When Jan Barstad first saw it last January, on her first visit to the Ocean State, it struck her as being medieval because of its rounded features and Romanesque style. And now she wants to dig up the park to find out if it truly is.
There are at least five major theories on the origins of the tower, but none has been proven: that it was a 14th century Scottish watch tower, a 12th century Norse Christian church, remnants of a Chinese fleet's settlement, a memorial, or a 17th century English colonial structure that was built by former Rhode Island Gov. Benedict Arnold (a relative of the notorious traitor) to replace a windmill.
Barstad, president of the Chronognostic Research Foundation Inc. a Tempe, Ariz., firm that conducts research on artifacts, is hopeful that anything underground will help her figure out the tower's origins. She's asked the city council for permission to dig at the site and put to rest all the theories of how and why and when the tower was built.
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Community Thoughts: There are 3 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Vikings??? | Jun 14th. at 5:17:04 pm EDT |
by Rick Lutes (ottawa, canada) - wc_xemail
Other than newfoundland sight there is no norse artifacts in north america that stand up to tests, especially rune stones.
Sorry folks.
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| The Other Excavation | Jun 13th. at 12:05:00 pm EDT |
by Dan (There) - wc_xemail
The previous excavation Simmons mentioned was headed by Harvard's Peabody Museum in 1948-49. They failed to turn up any evidence of other structures or pre-colonial artifacts.
It might be interesting to see what was turned up in this radar imagery, but I'm not sure whether this is the best way to do it. Ms. Barstad does have a couple of books to her credit, but nothing having to do with New England or any of the cultures listed in the article. I find no contact information on this "Chronognostic Research Foundation, " or any indication as to how they are certain that a two-week excavation will turn up definitive proof of anything. At any rate, let's keep an eye on this.
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| Well, | Jun 13th. at 10:14:45 am EDT |
by Rev. Zalon Draconis (Rhode Island) - wc_xemail
I've heard about the theory that it was a Viking building, which would make sense because of the runestone marker that was found on Martha's Vineyard. I had also read a paper concerning the possible influence that Norse language had on the Narragansett language, although the author seemed to over-estimate the amount of time the Norsemen may have spent with the Narragansett tribe.
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