kenb
Bronze Member
Scientists tackle Newport's biggest mystery
NEWPORT - Is it British Colonial? Norse? Chinese? Scottish? or Portuguese? It is a historical mystery for sure, and Ron and Jan Barstad of the Arizona based Chronognostic Research Foundation (CRF) have an intention of solving what they call, "merely a puzzle," once and for all, as they begin their second archeological dig on Oct. 9 in Touro Park.
"The tower was built by someone, at some time, for some purpose. It's a puzzle with missing pieces that has been argued about for almost two centuries." says Jan Barstad, an animated gal with a degree in botany and plant ecology. "It is a hole in Newport's history that we want to fill, and with the generous permission of the Newport City Council, we will begin this cerebral, physical and, I might add, very expensive digging and processing procedure."
There has never even been any hard evidence surrounding the historical explanation of the tower's origin, but the accepted one, is that it was a mill built in the mid 17th Century. Some historians agree that it could be older, giving evidence of a pre-Columbian settlement in Newport. However, the prevailing theory is that it was a mill built for Governor Benedict Arnold, great-grandfather of the patriot-traitor. He once owned the land on which the tower stood and there is a clear reference to it in his will dated in 1677. It was never stated that he built the tower, only that it belonged to him.
Philip Ainsworth Means, a specialist in Latin American archeology, was the first researcher to compile all the known evidence in his 1942 book "The Newport Tower." He concluded that the Norse of the 12th or 13th century had possibly built it, but his wish was for scientific excavation to be done to verify his belief.
William Godfrey headed a limited excavation project backed by The Preservation Society of Newport County in 1948. Finding nothing older than 17th century coins, glass bottles and clay pipes, he concluded that Gov. Arnold or one of his contemporaries had built the tower.
Arlington Mallery, an engineer and bridge designer, interested in Viking history, re-examined Godfrey's excavation concluding that the reason he had only found 17th century artifacts was because a trench had been dug around the Tower in the 17th century in order to repair and strength the columns.
No more research was undertaken until 1993 when Jan Heinemeier and Hogne Junger, two Danes, used a new C-14 technique to date the mortar of the Tower, again concluding that it was 17th century. There were objections, however, concerning faulty chemistry and flawed photogrammetry.
James Whittall, an archaeologist with the Early Sites Research Society, conducted two ground-penetrating radar surveys in Touro Park. He wrote that 181 anomalies were listed ranging from two to ten feet in depth and concluding that it opened "possibilities of some interesting archaeology relating to the tower and the surrounding area."
William Penhallow, an RI professor of astronomy, investigated in 1998, possible alignments for viewing celestial events through the Tower windows and Suzanne Carlson, a historical architect, published a monograph on the Tower in 2001. Her writings covered each facet of the Tower's architecture, describing the probable building process involved in erecting the structure, with a compendium of European church architecture of various periods that could relate to the Tower.
In October of 2006, CRF began an excavation in the park headed by archaeologist Ray Pasquariello and Joyce Clements. More than 2000 artifacts were removed, some dating to the 17th century and much of the data from that dig is still under analysis. This month the same team is back, digging at the site for most of October, and concluding with a symposium on October 27 where Sue Carlson and Jan Barstad will talk about the various theories.
"Fights and arguments have been exchanged in city council meetings, parties and scholarly journals." Barstad said. "One R.I. citizen claims that his channeler told him that he was a Viking in another life who had helped to build the Tower. I asked what her thoughts were about the date of the Tower. "It's a Papist building, that I know. We're taking a risk for sure, but nothing gets done without a risk, right?
The results of this dig will solve the puzzle of such a fundamental level of disagreement. But, how extraordinary it would be, to prove, scientifically, that the Tower is, maybe, just maybe, the oldest structure in the United States!
What is this curious structure?
The tower is circular, constructed of local stones set in mortar of different types due to repair over the years. At ground level there are 8 round columns of the same stone, connected by 8 round arches made of flat stones set on edge. It is 26 ft. high and 23 ft. in diameter. At the top of each column is a hole that once carried beams to support a second floor. Above the level of the first floor are four windows and five niches spaced along the wall. 6 holes that may have held wooden steps are spaced at intervals from just above the arch between pillars 1 and 3 into the first floor and again into the second floor. A fireplace is built into the east wall. For information on the 2006 and 2007 dig see www.chronognostic.org.
by Virginia Treherne-Thomas
http://www.eastbayri.com/story/291836657929366.php
kenb
NEWPORT - Is it British Colonial? Norse? Chinese? Scottish? or Portuguese? It is a historical mystery for sure, and Ron and Jan Barstad of the Arizona based Chronognostic Research Foundation (CRF) have an intention of solving what they call, "merely a puzzle," once and for all, as they begin their second archeological dig on Oct. 9 in Touro Park.
"The tower was built by someone, at some time, for some purpose. It's a puzzle with missing pieces that has been argued about for almost two centuries." says Jan Barstad, an animated gal with a degree in botany and plant ecology. "It is a hole in Newport's history that we want to fill, and with the generous permission of the Newport City Council, we will begin this cerebral, physical and, I might add, very expensive digging and processing procedure."
There has never even been any hard evidence surrounding the historical explanation of the tower's origin, but the accepted one, is that it was a mill built in the mid 17th Century. Some historians agree that it could be older, giving evidence of a pre-Columbian settlement in Newport. However, the prevailing theory is that it was a mill built for Governor Benedict Arnold, great-grandfather of the patriot-traitor. He once owned the land on which the tower stood and there is a clear reference to it in his will dated in 1677. It was never stated that he built the tower, only that it belonged to him.
Philip Ainsworth Means, a specialist in Latin American archeology, was the first researcher to compile all the known evidence in his 1942 book "The Newport Tower." He concluded that the Norse of the 12th or 13th century had possibly built it, but his wish was for scientific excavation to be done to verify his belief.
William Godfrey headed a limited excavation project backed by The Preservation Society of Newport County in 1948. Finding nothing older than 17th century coins, glass bottles and clay pipes, he concluded that Gov. Arnold or one of his contemporaries had built the tower.
Arlington Mallery, an engineer and bridge designer, interested in Viking history, re-examined Godfrey's excavation concluding that the reason he had only found 17th century artifacts was because a trench had been dug around the Tower in the 17th century in order to repair and strength the columns.
No more research was undertaken until 1993 when Jan Heinemeier and Hogne Junger, two Danes, used a new C-14 technique to date the mortar of the Tower, again concluding that it was 17th century. There were objections, however, concerning faulty chemistry and flawed photogrammetry.
James Whittall, an archaeologist with the Early Sites Research Society, conducted two ground-penetrating radar surveys in Touro Park. He wrote that 181 anomalies were listed ranging from two to ten feet in depth and concluding that it opened "possibilities of some interesting archaeology relating to the tower and the surrounding area."
William Penhallow, an RI professor of astronomy, investigated in 1998, possible alignments for viewing celestial events through the Tower windows and Suzanne Carlson, a historical architect, published a monograph on the Tower in 2001. Her writings covered each facet of the Tower's architecture, describing the probable building process involved in erecting the structure, with a compendium of European church architecture of various periods that could relate to the Tower.
In October of 2006, CRF began an excavation in the park headed by archaeologist Ray Pasquariello and Joyce Clements. More than 2000 artifacts were removed, some dating to the 17th century and much of the data from that dig is still under analysis. This month the same team is back, digging at the site for most of October, and concluding with a symposium on October 27 where Sue Carlson and Jan Barstad will talk about the various theories.
"Fights and arguments have been exchanged in city council meetings, parties and scholarly journals." Barstad said. "One R.I. citizen claims that his channeler told him that he was a Viking in another life who had helped to build the Tower. I asked what her thoughts were about the date of the Tower. "It's a Papist building, that I know. We're taking a risk for sure, but nothing gets done without a risk, right?
The results of this dig will solve the puzzle of such a fundamental level of disagreement. But, how extraordinary it would be, to prove, scientifically, that the Tower is, maybe, just maybe, the oldest structure in the United States!
What is this curious structure?
The tower is circular, constructed of local stones set in mortar of different types due to repair over the years. At ground level there are 8 round columns of the same stone, connected by 8 round arches made of flat stones set on edge. It is 26 ft. high and 23 ft. in diameter. At the top of each column is a hole that once carried beams to support a second floor. Above the level of the first floor are four windows and five niches spaced along the wall. 6 holes that may have held wooden steps are spaced at intervals from just above the arch between pillars 1 and 3 into the first floor and again into the second floor. A fireplace is built into the east wall. For information on the 2006 and 2007 dig see www.chronognostic.org.
by Virginia Treherne-Thomas
http://www.eastbayri.com/story/291836657929366.php
kenb
Rebel here: I have ALWAYS heard that the Newport Tower was simply a Knight Templar "Round Church" like the "Round Church" on Lawyers' Road in London. SECRET Templar "Treasure" came across the "little pond" (Atlantic Ocean) from Scotland in the 1400's or so... so that the K.T. (who supposedly built the cathedrels, castles, etc. in Europe), could do a "quickie" with the "help" of the native people, and build various "mysterious structures" and bury various kinds of "treasures" from here & there... DUNNO... 
...) 
