"Traces in the Woods" has the descriptions [click here]
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
A reader sends some pics
Reader Russ sent some pics from Littleton and vicinity including ones of this pile I think I recognize from near the train tracks in Boxborough.
I hope Russ does not mind my saying: another visit to it might be worthwhile. It is a bit like the "northern Wachusett" example with a bit of tail and a bit of hollow. How does it compare with the piles from Fitchburg?
I hope Russ does not mind my saying: another visit to it might be worthwhile. It is a bit like the "northern Wachusett" example with a bit of tail and a bit of hollow. How does it compare with the piles from Fitchburg?
Field Find Story
Chris Pittman writes:
On Wednesday I drove to a field where I found some broken pieces back in the spring. Since then, the farmer has come through and plowed and planted crops and with all the rain we have had, the rocks moved around by the machinery are now exposed. I was in my fourth row when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a triangular quartz piece in the next row over. I picked it up with no particular expectation and was pleased to realize it was a fragment of a projectile point or knife. It was most of the front part of a point, missing the tip and the base. One edge very clearly showed the telltale chips made by the ancient hand. The other edge was also worked, but not as finely, with a steep bevel- the artifact had an asymmetrical cross section, it could perhaps have been made that way or resharpened at some point, no way for me to be sure from this badly broken fragment. Any find, for me, is a good find, and really, it was more than I had hoped for, on this evening after work.
On Wednesday I drove to a field where I found some broken pieces back in the spring. Since then, the farmer has come through and plowed and planted crops and with all the rain we have had, the rocks moved around by the machinery are now exposed. I was in my fourth row when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a triangular quartz piece in the next row over. I picked it up with no particular expectation and was pleased to realize it was a fragment of a projectile point or knife. It was most of the front part of a point, missing the tip and the base. One edge very clearly showed the telltale chips made by the ancient hand. The other edge was also worked, but not as finely, with a steep bevel- the artifact had an asymmetrical cross section, it could perhaps have been made that way or resharpened at some point, no way for me to be sure from this badly broken fragment. Any find, for me, is a good find, and really, it was more than I had hoped for, on this evening after work.
I went back to searching the row I was standing in, but came up empty handed. I felt some anticipation as I doubled back and searched the row where I had found the fragment, but there was nothing more to find there. In the next row, I found a tool made of rhyolite, possibly a scraper or perforator. I then moved into the next row and walked a long way. Near the end of the row, I spotted a quartz piece on the ground, its faceted appearance suggesting that it was an artifact. Looking at this piece, I could see it was broken, I couldn't tell if it was a pice of an arrowhead, or just a waste flake from tool manufacture. I picked it up and immediately felt regret for not taking a picture of it on the ground, the tell-tale shape and edge all the way around (except where it was broken) showed that it was an arrowhead base. I wiped the dirt off and studied it, it had an asymmetrical shape with a bevel on one side... I immediately thought of the other piece that I had found about 60 feet away. I breathlessly pulled it out of my pocket... a match! 
Incredible. What are the chances? A first, for me.
Incredible. What are the chances? A first, for me.I have attached some pictures of the point, it is nothing great but I was just so pleased to find two pieces of the same broken artifact. I am not sure if this is what is called a Rossville, a Squibnocket Stemmed, or a Small Stemmed. The tip is still missing. On the right side you can see a weak shoulder halfway up, where it was hafted. The left side has no shoulder and a steeper bevel, I assume this is where it was resharpened in ancient times. Perhaps used as a knife. I haven't glued it back together but maybe I will at some point.
I have also attached a picture of the rhyolite tool (at left) along with two broken projectile points in the same material found in the same place, in the spring. The flaking on this tool is mostly on one side. I think the little projection sticking out at the top could have been used as a perforator, or possibly as a drill.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Evidence of Native American Brush Fish Weirs
"What is left today? What remain are the stones, walls and enclosures that survived in protected areas along Connecticut’s coast...These rock piles still exist today..."
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Wrentham State Forest - small marker pile site and a lesson learned
This one first caught my eye and then I poked around.
Here were a few beaten down piles, 
perhaps a bit triangular:
(Hard to get focused pictures in the rain with a point-and-click camera.)
I did not succeed in photo'ing it, but there were a couple of lines of piles, more or less evenly spaced, scattered along a slope below an outcrop.
After exploring marker pile sites in kettle holes down in Falmouth, I have adopted the hypothesis that marker pile sites are places where shadows are projected from "across the way". I have taken to examining features that are out in the direction that the site faces. So, here I went to take a look and there was a large boulder that would project shadows from a winter sunrise, onto this slope of rock piles. 
You probably cannot see it but there is a rock-on-rock at the near end of the boulder, next to a slight notch in the rock.
Here were a few beaten down piles, 
perhaps a bit triangular:
(Hard to get focused pictures in the rain with a point-and-click camera.)
I did not succeed in photo'ing it, but there were a couple of lines of piles, more or less evenly spaced, scattered along a slope below an outcrop.
After exploring marker pile sites in kettle holes down in Falmouth, I have adopted the hypothesis that marker pile sites are places where shadows are projected from "across the way". I have taken to examining features that are out in the direction that the site faces. So, here I went to take a look and there was a large boulder that would project shadows from a winter sunrise, onto this slope of rock piles. 
You probably cannot see it but there is a rock-on-rock at the near end of the boulder, next to a slight notch in the rock.
"conic mound(s) of Stone"
Photos: John Everett
accessed from:
But there's more than one Rock Pile according to:
(who lose points for spelling errors)
"None of the Lewis and Clark Expedition accounts mentions the presence of rock cairns at this place leading us to believe the route they followed left something of interest. No one has verified what purpose the cairs may have once served. Other mounds of rock can be found elsewhere along the Lolo Trail. Some believe these cairns marked a dividing trail off the main ridge trail. Others say these cairns were a place for early travelers to leave messages for those who would follow. This ara was named Indian Post Office in the early 1900s."
The photo above, found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/manitobamuseum/2621303839/ , is captioned: "Indian Postoffice, well known to hunters and woodsmen, elevation 7036, highest point on the old Lolo Indian Trail between Lolo, Montana and the Clearwater River near Kamiah, Idaho. Location of these landmarks shown here was shown on Bitterroot Reserve Maps of 1898 and were probably here when Lewis and Clark came by in 1805-06. However, the "conic mound of Stons" mentioned by the explorers, was 10-15 miles from this point."
One more from http://media.photobucket.com/image/%2522indian%20post%20office%2522%20montana/Hardrocker_01/F18.jpg:
USDA Bungles Sacred Site Issues
A new draft report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds that American Indians are correct in believing that the federal government and the agency’s U.S. Forest Service in particular are doing poorly on understanding sacred site issues from Native viewpoints, and it calls for many improvements...
Whole Story at:
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/08/natives-correct-that-usda-bungles-sacred-site-issues/ Monday, August 15, 2011
Wrentham State Forest - rock-on-rocks along the trail.
This is 1/2 way between A and B, so I have taken to splitting the drive into two pieces, with a walk in Wrentham in between.
Taking the trail in from Madison Street, you see this to the right:
Here is a closeup:
It is actually one of three items in a line at the brow of the slope to the right of the trail. Here it is in the background with a smaller rock-on-rock in the foreground.
Finally, here was another item in the line. A curious shaped "bird stone" next to a split rock. 
I photo'd this first (sorry for the blur) and then saw the other rock-on-rocks.
There is a small rock pile site uphill from here.
Taking the trail in from Madison Street, you see this to the right:
Here is a closeup:
It is actually one of three items in a line at the brow of the slope to the right of the trail. Here it is in the background with a smaller rock-on-rock in the foreground.
Finally, here was another item in the line. A curious shaped "bird stone" next to a split rock. 
I photo'd this first (sorry for the blur) and then saw the other rock-on-rocks.
There is a small rock pile site uphill from here.
The Yale Indian Project
Norman Muller writes:
I found this link. It looks interesting, but not sure if it is up and running.
http://www.library.yale.edu/yipp/about_project/index.html
[Norman continues...] Well, there is much more to the website than I thought: original scans of the documents and transcriptions by scholars.
I found this link. It looks interesting, but not sure if it is up and running.
http://www.library.yale.edu/yipp/about_project/index.html
[Norman continues...] Well, there is much more to the website than I thought: original scans of the documents and transcriptions by scholars.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Kettle Holes - a closer look along Firetower Hill Rd.
Went again to look for the kettle hole I remembered with 2 piles. Finally re-located it and my wife found a third pile there. Stumbled into a site with 11 piles on the way in and another with 5 piles on the way out. The 11 were in a small kettle hole and the 5 were on the northeast side of a kind of gully leading out of yet another kettle hole. Where it say "ETC" is where I know from the past there is a trail down hill from the top that passes directly through a number of sites worth re-examining.
Update: I find it interesting that one of the deepest holes there has no piles. It does have a stone wall starting on the eastern flank and running down and back out. But no piles. I wonder why this hole is different. The foliage at the bottom was different - it was barer with more grass and dead leaves, fewer blueberry bushes and no bull briar.
Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge
Some Stone features at Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Salt Meadow Unit in Westbrook CT along the Menunketesuck River - July 2011.
Follow the river downstream and you come to the "Hawk's Nest" at Pilot's Point ( http://www.stonestructures.org/Pilots-Point-Site.pdf)...
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Monday, August 08, 2011
A well-hidden rock pile
I asked my wife to point at it:
I worry whether I am properly documenting the rock pile sites around Falmouth, found in kettle holes. But there are probably no more than 30 such holes. They aren't going anywhere.
I worry whether I am properly documenting the rock pile sites around Falmouth, found in kettle holes. But there are probably no more than 30 such holes. They aren't going anywhere.
Revisiting another kettle hole
This one is in Falmouth on Firetower Hill Rd, 2nd kettle hole on the left heading north from Brick Kiln Rd. Another lovely place:
I remembered this spot as having a rock pile or two. In further retrospect, I think I could be remembering one of the other, deeper kettle holes west of this one. Given recent experiences, I went hoping I might have missed some of the piles and I had. I found 12 piles in all. Quite a few, and comparable to the number I found here.
These piles were arranged like this on the southeast slope of the kettle hole:
The lowest pile was at edge of the bottom of the kettle hole and the highest pile was perhaps 50 feet up the slope. On the opposite side of the kettle hole, in what would be the northwestern horizon during summer sunsets, was a level slope and a few boulders. Not a great confirmation of the hypothesis because no particular boulder stood out.
Here is another view of the largest pile but there is an obscured pile in the foreground, on the right:
A smaller pile in the bushes, with large pile in the background.
Continuing in the same line (away from the big pile which is the leftmost of the middle row of dots on the sketch) are these two others:
Closeup:
I cleaned off the pile at the bottom of the slope. 
There are plenty of others with intact dirt but it would be nice to expose them slightly so the site would be at least visible.
Friday, August 05, 2011
Revisiting kettle holes
Given recent experiences, I thought it would be worth revisiting a couple of other kettle hole sites, while I am down in Falmouth. One, off Brick Kiln Rd, has a couple of piles, but I was unable to find any others even looking hard. When I went looking on the opposite slope for boulders (whose shadows would reach over to the piles):
On closer inspection:
What's that? Still closer:
Wonder how long that's been there?
On closer inspection:
What's that? Still closer:
Wonder how long that's been there?
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