Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Eckville Terraces

By GeophileAm feeling a little despondent, as I thought I was going out looking for stone sites today and it turns out I'm not. So here's a picture of a lovely woodland scene. A fellow named Kyle Hildebrand took us to this area on the mountainside, which almost seemed to have been terraced. It's in the 'Eck' or corner, where the Kittatinny Ridge curves back on itself before continuing southwest. Without its trees, this spot provides a breathtaking view east across the great valley many miles to the Delaware River. As you can see, the stones were arranged in low walls and rows. Intriguing.

A further thought about Oley Hills--I realized after spending time with some topo maps that the main site is close to the divide between two watersheds. From that same section of hills, one creek flows to the Lehigh and ultimately the Delaware River, and another flows west to the Ontelaunee and ultimately the Schuylkill River. Is that part of the reason for its placement?

2 comments :

pwax said...

Eckville Terraces - looks very intriguing. Does anyone have any ideas about the purpose of the place?

Geophile said...

As far as I know, only three people are even aware of the configuration of the spot. It's in the woods, well off the trail. One person did suggest it might be a hunting camp, as the indigenous people were known to set up hunting camps away from the village at certain times of year. But that doesn't really explain the stone work, does it?