Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Reader John writes:
I found your blog when I was recently searching for an explanation of the 2 rock piles I have known about since 1971.  We have a cabin in Spring Creek, PA.  There are two large rock piles behind our cabin on top of the mountain separated by about 100 yards with a collection of smaller rock piles scattered around them.  The picture attached is one of the large piles.  Not a great shot since it was from my flip phone.  My dad has always said it was Indian burial grounds.  The location is near the edge of the mountain top on flat ground.  The area is now part of the PA state game lands.  There is no evidence that this area was ever logged off because there are no skidder paths near the rocks.  I'd like to learn the approximate age of the piles and who might have made them.  They are oval shaped.  I can't imagine that anyone ever farmed up there.  It is just not accessible and completely forested. It is a relatively steep climb to the top. Our cabin is located on a dirt road along route 426, east of Garland.

4 comments :

pwax said...

I agree with John's father and believe (without real evidence) that those are in the 400+ years old category.

Curtiss Hoffman said...

While this site is outside of the study area I have chosen for my stone structures inventory, I agree that the mounds are most probably pre-European in origin.

pwax said...

Also I note there is a "dimple" or "hollow" feature towards the middle of the pile. I interpret this as a collapsed inner chamber - indicating that the pile contained something at one time.
The pile is also pretty badly damaged. It would be interesting to see some of the smaller ones. Are they in good shape?

Anonymous said...

The smaller piles are harder to find with the leaf cover. They are fairly flush to the ground. There is a dimple in both of the large piles. I thought that someone may have disturbed the piles looking for artifacts. Next time I visit, I'll try to map out the locations of the small groupings of rock.