Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Earthworks in Newark OH - Great Circle and Octagon

A couple of comments on how Illinois and Ohio seem a bit contemptuous of their major mound sites. In the case of Cahokia, the state of IL put a landfill mound just a few miles away, that is larger than "Monks Mound", the largest mound in America. In the case of the Newark Earthworks, there are NO SIGNS to help a traveler realize there is a site there; and the views of the Great Circle and Octagon are completely obstructed by unnecessary tree plantings. I mean.... really? Apparently the visitor center at Cahokia has been closed for 4 years - due to lack of initiative to finish the job.

Monday, May 18, 2026

A quick look at Cahokia

 
I was surprised to pass Cahokia on my drive home from Nevada.

Rock Piles, Wachusett Reservoir

Reader Larry J. writes:

Hello!

I stumbled across an interesting rock formation and was curious what your thoughts on it are! Ill attach a video of me walking around it. Also a couple photos, one of Lidar.
Thanks!
Larry .


Lidar:
Walk around [I rotated the video, and uploaded it to my YouTube channel]:

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Tahattawan’s World

Thursday, May 14, 7 pm at Acton Memorial Library

Who were the Indians who lived in the Acton area before the English arrived? It is widely understood that this band, led by their sachem Tahattawan, transferred Musketaquid/Concord to the English in the 1630s, adopted Christianity, settled down nearby at Nashobah/Littleton, endured rough handling during King Philip’s War in the 1670s, and then merged into the general diaspora of Christian Indians in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Local historian Brent Ranalli has undertaken a fresh, close reading of the source documents from the seventeenth century for a new book project. This talk presents some of his findings, enhancing our understanding of the band and their story.
Please register at https://tinyurl.com/Ranalli-May14.

Wednesday, April 08, 2026

NEARA fieldtrips

Worcester, MA - April 19

[?] CT - May 2

No doubt the details are available at www.neara.org