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ANOTHER USE FOR STONEHOLES IN MINNESOTA: Securing Tents On Windy Ridgelines

 


This old photo at Minnesota's Pope County Museum, entitled "1869 Survey Team With Glenwood in the Background," has helped me to understand what some of the stoneholes were made for in Minnesota during the latter half of the 19th century, apparently related to early railroad surveying and keeping tents secure on windy ridgelines.  Please note in the photo that a pole stuck into a hole in a rock is effectively being used with a tent-tie to help secure the tent.

A similar situation presents itself on a lonely and windswept ridgeline a few counties away, in Lac Qui Parle county, south of Appleton.  Indeed, at this site, there are about 40 large, machine-made stoneholes, some revealing a "foundation pattern" suggesting tents being secured.  Again, this is directly on a ridgeline, as in the Glenwood photo.

However, in my opinion, these fairly "modern" stoneholes have nothing to do with several of the stonehole rocks at the same site near Appleton, those exhibiting hand-chiseling and a greater degree of aging.  (At this point, you may want to refer to the article in this blog about the "Norse Code-stone.")

I'm speculating that the several rocks with rare, small, multiple stoneholes are from a much more historic period than the other stoneholes at the site.  In my mind, returning Norsemen would be able to put together what the odd arrangement of small stoneholes meant.  Humbly, then, in temporarily taking a Norseman's place, I believe I've been able to determine that the stoneholes were meant to reveal that something was buried by earlier-visiting Norsemen--and this supposition relies on the positive reading of my ferrous metal detector:  the only "hit" in the entire area is where the stoneholes also say to dig.

A great mystery to me, though, is why each visiting party was interested in the same precise spot--though centuries apart.  I'm only guessing that it likely has something to do with the discharge of the Pomme de Terre River, which empties into Marsh Lake (the Minnesota River) just north of the site.



Above, a likely "modern," machine-made stonehole at the site near Appleton.  Below is an example of a speculative medieval "double stonehole rock" at the same site, one of several seemingly used to assist someone in code-breaking a hidden message from the past.  I believe Minnesota's citizens have a right to realize what a "stonehole encoding" from the past and a metal detector in the present are in complete agreement about--even as people are crying out for evidence, evidence, evidence!    
 


The Norse Code-stone ridgeline looking south.  The land is owned by the State of Minnesota and the State Archaeologist and DNR will not permit a dig, even a very small, careful one.  Apparently, the land is too environmentally sensitive to look for evidence of past Norse visitation...so that one can only wonder what of possible historical significance was purposely buried and left for us here...somewhere in time...still awaiting discovery.  


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