New England Antiquities Research Association

NEARA logo

The New England Antiquities Research Association (NEARA) is a non-profit organization which, according to its website: "is dedicated to a better understanding of our historic and prehistoric past through the study and preservation of New England's stone sites in their cultural context. Founded, 1964."^[1] The current president of NEARA is Suzanne Carlson.

Areas of interest

Some NEARA members are concerned with controversial archeological sites in and around New England. In particular, sites containing items such as stone cairns and underground chambers are often written about in their affiliated publication, The NEARA Journal, and are the subject of group outings. Some of these are the same sites said to fall under the category of ceremonial stone landscapes by United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc.^[2] in their recent resolution on the topic. NEARA members' interests include study of large controversial sites such as America's Stonehenge, as well as archeoastronomy of sites. All members are interested in the preservation of the diversity of stone structures in the woods of New England.

One observer has noted that "NEARA is also a hotbed of 'Diffusionist' thought, the belief that the Americas were widely visited by European and Asiatic cultures before Columbus." ^[3] (See also Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact.)

In addition, articles dealing specifically with the subjects of epigraphy and archeoastronomy are featured on the NEARA website.

References

1. ^ "NEARA Home Page". Neara.org. http://www.neara.org. Retrieved 2010-01-02. 
2. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "Origins of the Newport Tower". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2006-08-23. http://web.archive.org/web/20060823012930/http://www.thinknpt.com/pages/historypg1.html. Retrieved 2010-01-02. 

External links

• Official website