Eastham in Barnstable County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
Indian Rock
For thousands of years before the Europeans landed, the Nauset Indians lived beside the marshes of Cape Cod. Among the evidence of their occupation is this community grinding rock, one of four such boulders found in the Nauset Bay area.
Indians used the abrasive qualities of the fine-grained metamorphic rock to grind and polish implements made of stone and animal bones. Stone axes were sharpened on the well-worn concave surfaces. Bone fishhooks were shaped in the narrow grooves.
“Indian Rock” was originally located just below here, embedded in the mud of the marsh. The National Park Service moved the 20-ton boulder to this site in 1965.
Erected by Cape Cod National Seashore.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Native Americans • Natural Resources • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 41° 49.336′ N, 69° 57.798′ W. Marker is in Eastham, Massachusetts, in Barnstable County. Marker can be reached from Hemenway Road. The marker is located 0.1 mile down a paved trail that starts at the Eastham Boat Launch parking lot located at the end of Hemenway Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Eastham MA 02642, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Port de Mallebarre (here, next to this marker); A Whale Bone Welcome (approx. 0.3 miles away); There’s No Place Like Home (approx. 0.3 miles away); Eastham Town Hall (approx. ¾ mile away); First Encounter (approx. ¾ mile away); Eastham Windmill (approx. 0.8 miles away); Cove Burying Ground (approx. 0.8 miles away); Bridge Road Cemetery (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Eastham.
Also see . . . Nauset Indians. (Submitted on December 17, 2017, by Alan M. Perrie of Unionville, Connecticut.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 30, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 17, 2017, by Alan M. Perrie of Unionville, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 1,320 times since then and 198 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 17, 2017, by Alan M. Perrie of Unionville, Connecticut. 4. submitted on November 30, 2019, by Stephanie Seacord of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.