Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Trails winding between mounds at Hassanamessit - a new insight

After a light snow, the trails are easier to see so I am just going to show you some trails between three mounds. 

Looking from #2 back towards #1, we see a trail along the right, making an S up to the mound, in the background:
Turning towards #2, I have several shots showing the trails above it, winding around counter clockwise to the right:
Seen from the side, the trail continues around and down to the right:
And then from below:
 
#2 is a superlative mound (no rectangle, no hollow). But please note the trail making a comfortable zig-zag on its way down towards the camera.
 And now we turn around and look towards mound #3:
The trail leads over there, and we can go take a closer look later. 
Here are pictures of #1. With hints of trails around it:

I have been writing about trails leading to rock pile sites and have frequently mentioned seeing old trails passing through a site. I even proposed that some types of vision quests could use a trail to pass by fixed rock piles. Now I believe something stronger may be true: that rock piles were involved in a number of ceremonies, where people move, and that by studying trails at a rock pile site we can observe how people flowed through the place

Take a close look at the picture of #2 from above, I posted the other day:
I make a strange suggestion: is that a circle of trail between us and the mound? What kind of "flow" would explain that? In any case, trails are an essential observable at a rock pile site.
More on this site later.To get to it, park at the end of Salisbury Str. Go straight downhill to the Miscoe. Cross the railroad tracks and look around when you get down just above the flats.

1 comment :

Tim MacSweeney said...

I've been pondering the same "trails" idea, although my variation includes the stone walls that sometimes enclose stone mounds I've come across, as well as water features. The attempt at mapping the site and it's trails is more on topic, I suppose - and there are groups of stone mounds up in the top right corner that I hope to add at some time. This is a part one I will be following up with:
http://wakinguponturtleisland.blogspot.com/2016/01/oldest-trails-older-trails-and-old.html