New Salem Chamber

From James O.

Finally made it out to the "Bears Den" Chamber in New Salem. I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere, but the chamber appears to be built on the southeast end of a very short esker, or at least something that looks like an esker. 

I add that caveat because on the north end of the "esker" it seems as if some earth-moving has occurred to form the end into a bowl with one clear opening. I could have been convinced that this was a small but ordinary "kettle hole" in the outwash, except for the fact that the entranceway points due west and there is a very clearly artificial mount directly in the center. 

Is this truly an esker? Or is the whole raised area of human construction? I have no idea, I'm more of a bird-guy than a rock-guy. 

I didn't notice this out in the field, but the LIDAR maps show what looks to be a stone row (maybe sunken beneath the leaf litter?) running form the side of the bowl towards the wet areas along the stream.

And a photo of the "bowl", though photos never really do it justice. There also seemed to be some out of place rocks lining the inside of the bowl.