The Gungywamp - An Overview

What sites are in the Gungywamp?

The Gungywamp complex consists of paleo and woodland Indian sites, colonial sites, and post-colonial sites.  Previous "mysterious" sites have been investigated, and re-investigated, and have been explained more fully within this website's Stonewatch newsletters

In our paleo and woodland Indian sites, we have found stone points (arrowheads), stone flakes which broke off in the making of stone points, and pottery fragments. Depending on the layer of soil in which the artifacts were found, these materials have been dated between 2000-770 BC.

The Gungywamp's colonial and post-colonial sites consist of the remains of small houses, possible textile manufacturing sites, and iron ore/slag iron production sites. A numerous collection of artifacts has been excavated at these sites: pottery and china fragments, buttons, coins, bottle fragments and window pane glass, domestic utensils, pipe bowls and stems, bricks and animal bones.

The sites some believe are "mysterious" are our most controversial. Within the Gungywamp complex are a series of chamber remains and two intact chambers. One of these intact chambers, located in the southwestern section of the Gungywamp complex, acts as a calendar site. Around the Spring and Fall equinox (varying about two weeks before and after the equinoxes), an opening at the west end of the Calendar Chamber is aligned to allow the mid-afternoon sun to illuminate the inside of the chamber in one particular place. Within this larger chamber, on its northeastern wall, is a small beehive- shaped chamber. As the ray of sun makes its way across the north wall of the chamber, it finishes its course on a light colored stone at the entrance of the small beehive chamber. This light colored stone dimly reflects the sun's rays to bring a small degree of light into the beehive-shaped chamber.

Since no artifacts have been found in this chamber, an array of theories has produced a degree of controversy as to who built the chamber, when, and for what purpose.

One theory is that this chamber, and other chambers evident in the Gungywamp, were built by early colonial inhabitants, and that the chambers served as root cellars. The calendar feature of our one chamber has been explained as a necessary feature to help discern planting and harvest times.  Other chamber remains indicate that they were most probably used as birthing shelters for livestock (the Gungywamp was used for grazing land, not farmland).

Another theory is that the chambers may have been built by African, Indian or Afro-Indian slaves who were owned by colonial settlers in the Gungywamp area. This theory is a relatively new idea, based in part on some research done on a colonial slave settlement in Salem, Connecticut.

Others believe the chambers were built by native Indian tribes at unknown times. Both Mohegan and Pequot Indians in the region claim that their ancestors built the chambers. Some attach ritual meanings to the chambers, whereas others believe the chambers were constructed by native Indians for a more utilitarian purpose.

Lastly, the most controversial of theories presents the chambers as small hermit huts built by sixth-eighth century Celtic Christian monks who explored and proselytized in this region. This theory is based in part on inscriptions in stone found at and near chamber remains in the northeastern part of the Gungywamp complex. Previous interpretations of these inscriptions described them as being "Christograms" (Christian symbols and lettering), but recent research of Christograms, especially those used prominently and universally throughout the early to medieval periods, indicates that the inscriptions found in the northeastern part of the Gungywamp complex are not Christograms.  Rather, the inscriptions are most likely either graffiti, or in at least one case, possibly a colonial landowner's initials used to mark off his property boundary.

Another controversial feature in the Gungywamp Complex is the two rows of standing stones. One of these standing stones has a clearly marked, man-made etching of a bird's head and upper wing span carved into it. No artifacts have been found around these standing stones, and the theories previously abounded as to the "who, when and why" regarding these rows of standing stones.  More recent research has caused us to conclude that the rows are the skeletal remains of a colonial rock wall in which the standing stones acted as support/brace stones.

Rock cairns are another interesting and controversial feature of the Gungywamp complex. Rock cairns are found all throughout New England. Some are nothing more than piles of stone left behind from colonial and post-colonial land-clearing, whereas others are associated with Indian sites.

Whatever the interpretation of the Gungywamp sites may be among those interested in the area, the Gungywamp is a wonderfully preserved area with a concentration of colonial and post-colonial sites which is rather unusual in light of the heavy development of land over the centuries.  The area is all privately owned, and a good part of the land is in the process of being acquired by the State of Connecticut for preservation. 

Our contact address is
The Gungywamp Society
P.O. Box 592
Colchester, CT 06415-0592