“In June 2012, Dr Curtis Hoffman, Bridgewater State
University, Massachusetts, conducted a blind survey with Johnson at a nearby
site, which Doug Harris, Preservation Office, Narragansett Tribe, recognizes as
a traditional sacred northeastern Native American site consisting of stone
features which include astronomical alignments. Hoffman did not provide Johnson
with any information regarding the site. Hoffman comments in his discussion of
the blind survey that Johnson was able to find the site and that “I would say that
this was a good confirmation of his method.” His report is included below…
Both the
Narraganset and Hopi traditional beliefs recognize sites containing cairns and
other stone features as part of their ancestral history. The distance between
the Bridgewater University Site and the Hopi Cairn Sites is 2,000 miles.
However using the same methodology, Johnson was able to locate both sites, as
well as other ancient Native American sites from different historical periods
and regions, which strongly suggests they were aligning their habitation and
ceremonial sites, as well as stone features, along areas of higher
permeability. The results of these blind surveys suggest some of the oral
traditions which have been lost to the Hopi and other Native American tribes
may be recovered, to some extent, by Johnson’s methodology, as well as other
researcher’s investigations of cairn sites (7-8).”
Conclusions
Throughout the northeastern states cairn sites such as Lewis
Hollow share a commonality in setting, association with springs, cairns, effigy
features and wall types. As more sites are added to the data base, the
similarity remains consistent suggesting these sites were constructed by people
with a common belief or origin. The site’s features reflect the three
dimensional characteristics of earth itself, as well as traditional Native
American beliefs. For example, springs with the underworld, surface features
such as walls and cairns with the present world and astronomical alignments
with the cosmos. Since several of the sites have been referred to by the
earliest European settlers as existing at the time of their arrival, and Native
Americans associate them with their ancestral heritage, it suggests many of
these sites were constructed by the Native Americans who occupied the region
for thousands of years (30).
Observations Regarding David Johnson’s Archaeological Site
Survey Techniques
By Dr. Curtiss Hoffman
"Dave Johnson and his wife came to the
Bridgewater State University campus, Massachusetts, on Thursday, June 7th,
2012. He had agreed to attempt to locate an archaeological site I know about
and which he knew nothing about by locating an area of higher permeability /
aquifer using dowsing rods and following it to the site. I led him on a
roundabout path through the woods around Great Hill. Actually, I led him to an
entrance to the woods distant from the known Native American sacred site and let
him find his way from there without guidance from me. He used his dowsing rods
to locate 33 several aquifers running off the hill, though the water tower and
the cell tower threw some of his results off. We came to the sacred site last,
and without my telling him anything about it, he accurately located an aquifer
whose edge conforms to the orientation of the stone row. He then went off
downhill to find the opposite edge, and was visibly startled to discover the
large split rock right at that edge! He traced the aquifer on uphill, and it
turns out that there are 2 other aquifers crossing the solstice sunset line,
which are also marked by stones. I would say that this was a good confirmation
of his method, though I think he can make it more quantitative - for example,
his readings on aquifer strength are ranked categories (weak, moderate, strong,
very strong) depending on the angle at which the rods cross. I suggested he
attach a goniometer to one of the rods to actually measure the angles."
Best regards, Dr. Curtiss Hoffman
Department of Anthropology
Bridgewater State University, Massachusetts
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