There are many theories surrounding the origin of the stone and its carvings at this location. The stone was first found at N 41 38.90 W 071 24.48 at the low tide mark and was likely uncovered during the Hurricane of 1938. It was only in 1948 when a quahogger saw the stone and brought it to the attention of researches to try to figure out its origin and history of the runic carvings. One theory is that it is the carvings of Icelandic/Viking explorers from the 14th or 15th century that landed in Narragansett Bay. Another theory is that the markings are from the Knights Templar and are directly related to a map of the region. The inscriptions have been thought to be 600 years old. Some think they could have been carved by Native Americans. However, three of the runes are of Icelandic decent and were used in the 13th century. Researchers have tried to translate the stone, getting as close as "Beware in this area there are terrible bears" (accurate at the time) to "screaming river." This stone was featured on The History Channel and referenced in America Unearthed, Season 1, Episode 11. Is it possible that Nordic explorers may have landed here prior to Christopher Columbus? Take some time to read about the stone and answer the below questions to receive credit for this virtual.
To receive credit for this virtual please message or email me the following answers:
1. What type of stone is it?
2. What does the dot mean at the end of the second line?
3. There is another set of rocks nearby in a circle, how many are there?
4. Prove you were here: Count the number of wood slats on the underside of the gazebo roof.
5. Optional: Take a photo in front of the stone!
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.