Intriguing Standing Stones/Stood-Up Stones & Pedestaled Boulder in Boylston, Massachusetts

Possible Ancient Indigenous Stonework Near A Wachusett Reservoir Watershed Tributary's Headwaters

A Large Stood-Up Stone in Boylston, Massachusetts. Photo by Mike Luoma.

This large Stood-Up Stone stands amidst a Tributary Headwaters in Boylston, Massachusetts. It’s also near one of the oldest East-West roads in New England, a former Indigenous roadway.

Approaching the Stood-Up Stone:

A gallery of views of the large Stood-Up Stone — each square is actually a larger image, which can be seen by clicking on the square.

Views Around the Stood-Up Stone in Boylston, Massachusetts. Click on Any Square to See the Full-Sized Image. Photos by Mike Luoma.

Other, smaller stones appear to have been Stood-Up on nearby low rises.

A Smaller Stood-Up Stone, Not Far from the Larger One, in Boylston, Massachusetts. Photo by Mike Luoma.

Getting a look at this first smaller Stood-Up Stone:

A Curiously Shaped Boulder next to the Smaller Stood-Up Stone. Photo by Mike Luoma.

Next to this first smaller Stood-Up Stone sits a curiously shaped boulder, and next to that boulder a second boulder seems to have been Pedestaled, or propped-up, on one side, held up by a single, possibly worked stone.

A Possibly Pedestaled Boulder near the Smaller Stood-Up Stone. Photo by Mike Luoma.

Examining the curiously propped-up boulder:

This perching of boulders is certainly possible through natural means. Glacial content like this boulder settled out, left behind by retreating ice sheets at the end of the last Ice Age. Eventually, any smaller, non-supporting mud and rocks would wash out from under the remaining boulder and its pedestal.

This sort of perching could have been done by human beings as well. In fact, the presence of these Stood-Up Stones and the Pedestaled Boulder seems to mutually reinforce this possibility, each element adding to the likelihood this is a human-altered landscape and not just an area where nature did some interesting things.

The Potentially Worked Stone Holding Up the Pedestaled Boulder near the Smaller Stood-Up Stone. Photo by Mike Luoma.

The next nearby Stood-Up Stone was lower, and triangular.

A Second Smaller Stood-Up Stone, Not Far from the Other Two, in Boylston, Massachusetts. Photo by Mike Luoma.

It appeared to me that a second stone on the ground next to it may have once been mounted atop the first stone, but this is purely speculation on my part. This almost two-minute-long video clip is my walk around the two stones as I wondered if they actually fit together the way that they appeared to:

My special advance Massachusetts stone site scout (my girlfriend Amanda) and I were able to make this preliminary site visit last weekend. There’s a little more to share from this trip, as we also checked out a little stretch of Stone Row in this area, which I’ll share soon.

There appeared to be much more to see, but a cold rain came on and it seemed wise to head home. We plan to return. More to Come.