Mattapoisett Man Digs Up Mysterious Object

James Ripley was taking advantage of the relatively nice November weather this weekend to do some yard clean up at his Mattapoisett home.  He was clearing out some brush and debris towards the back edge of his River Road property when he discovered a heavy, metal weighted object.  The object was wedged into the earth, so he cleared it off, picked it up and saw how big it was.  It was connected to a rope, which he also pulled from the ground.

"At first, I thought it was probably a survey marker for a plot plan, but it was nowhere near the corner or back side of my property, and it seems too large for that," said Ripley.  "It was left laying flat, not standing up straight."

Ripley thinks the object is made of cast iron.  The age of the object is anyone's guess, but Ripley believes his house is more than 100 years old.  There is some old brick and debris tossed in the back of his yard, but this metal object was a distance away, laying by itself.

"I'd just love to know what the heck it is.  I'm always interested in stuff like that.  Especially with the #28 on it.  I wonder what the number means," said Ripley.  "I love old houses."

One of the things about the weight that Ripley noticed was that the hole the rope goes through is square.  He also doesn't believe the object is an old fashioned window weight.  "It's just too big and they are usually cylindrical."

If anybody has any idea what this object is, please make a Facebook comment under the story or send an email to rock@fun107.com.