Standing at the edge of the rock pile and looking just to the right of the pile, the path of "green" that goes around the edge seems to be a spot where runoff flows. A stone row is on the opposite side, to the far right in this picture. But I barely noticed it compared to the size of the rock pile.
Walking around to the opposite side, in relation to the photo above, is this view. Notice how the pile to the left is elongated, and there is another pile just to the right of the elongated one. My dog is in this picture and he provides a good size comparison:
Looking to the left as if you're standing where the dog is in the photo above, there is some stacking on part of the rock pile:
Then, walking to the base and center of the piles, and facing the elongated pile, looking up at it, I am guessing that it is between 2 and 3 stories high from this point:
This is a shot of 2 stones at the base right near where I stood. These can be used as a reference point in the next 2 pictures:
In this picture, I'm looking at the spot that connects the elongated pile to the second large pile:
And this picture looks up at the second large pile. Notice there is more evidence of some stacking. Not all the stones are just carelessly thrown here, like they would be if this were a quarry. Yet, the structure is not stacked or formed neatly enough to be a foundation.
I didn't walk around the entire structure. I started to, on the side where I first walked up to the pile, but then I got nervous about it. There is no trail around the pile and there are dips and holes here and there, and a steep incline. I didn't want to walk on the pile, fearing I'd disrupt some stones. I am trying to research the history of this area, but the only thing I've found so far is mention of a farm and mill in the area, which I think I've already found at a lower elevation.
Wow! Impressive pile. It reminds me of some that David S. showed me in the Finger Lakes region: large piles with only a hint of stacking, most of the stones having slid off, as they seem to have done here. This is the kind of site that needs to be studied when the leaves are off the trees.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm wondering if the stacking shown in one photo might be later. This reminds me of a site in TN, where a cairn was built on top of a much older stone pile.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds plausible. There is a stack at the very top of the pile in the last photo that you can see when you stand on the opposite side of the elongated pile and look over it. It's hard to explain, but I have a photo of it and it's a bit blurry in the background with all of the trees and even one uprooted tree a bit in the way. I thought of the piles Dave has documented when I found this because that's exactly what this reminds me of, too.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a major site but near totally broken down. I cannot quite get the layout though, with a pile and an "elongated pile"?
ReplyDeleteDave who?
ReplyDeleteStonepilewhisper (Dave), click here for a link to his Hi-Tor Blog. It's an L shaped structure, with high points in the pile on the horizontal line of the L. Come to think of it, there may even be a hint of a feminine suggestion there. The elongated part of the structure is the vertical line of the L. I do have to go back out and look at this, but I won't go exploring all around that pile alone. I have a bit of a concern that there might be timber rattlesnakes there.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to hearing and seeing more.
ReplyDelete