Thursday, November 16, 2006

A small site behind the Best Western in Fitchburg

This is probably the last post on the subject of the NEARA conference. This conference location may have the unique distinction of having a rock pile site within strolling distance of the backdoor, easily within 100 yards of the place.

Here is a map fragment showing Rt 2 crossing Rt31, where the Best Western Hotel is located. The rock pile site is roughly where the blue outline is.
And here is a view back downhill towards the hotel. Note the foreground.
FFC, in his usual inimitable way, took a stroll and noticed some split-wedged rocks and rock piles back here. I went out to take a quick look and got some photos. It was genuinely fun to see these at the NEARA conference. We should do a conference in the same place sometime and use this site for a little seminar. When FFC and I went back there and started uphill (go to the far northwestern corner of the parking lot behind the hotel and stroll into the woods) I angled off to the right. Here is a first pile.
And here is a magnificent split-wedged rock:
And there were a number of low piles that seemed supported and having some symmetry or structure:
These are what I call effigy piles.

As we headed back down towards the hotel we crossed paths with a couple of young men from the ESAF conference. We made sure to show them that wedged rock, just so they could have something to notice and think about. We didn't stick around to talk with them.

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