Revisiting a little hill in the Nevada Desert

 

Scottish Rock Pile

 They don't mess around.

Closing out a year of arrowhead hunting.

It has been several month since I found anything. After walking and walking, hour after hour, it is always a bit of a shock when the piece of the universe you happen to be looking at happens to contain the thing you are looking for. 

From coastal RI.

 

Update: I spent long hours yesterday looking at parts of the universe that did not contain arrowheads. You don't really look for arrowheads - arrowheads happen. You just hope to be there when they do.

Covering historic signs

 Concord officials look to cover up Massachusetts historic signs due to their 'offensive' nature (bostonherald.com)

This upsets me. I am from Concord and have deep respect for that spot on the Milldam where the sign appears. I was reminded in several different ways over the last week that Concord has nothing to be ashamed of with respect to the Native Americans. The town tried hard to protect them during the King Phillips War before the Indians were forced to go to Deer Island in Boston harbor. 

In addition, there were religious people in Concord (Bulkley?) who were devout and respected for it by the Indians. I just read (I already forgot where) it is the reason Concord was never attacked during the War.

Then, on the level of everyday American politics, I have to wonder about this "woke" initiative from Concord's current selectmen. They talk about being respectful to Native Americans but I simply do not believe they are responding to an actual complaint from an actual Native American. It is a thinly idealistic theoretical "respect". It does not play with a love [and respect] for history and I would be glad to know if there exists a real, local, Native American who is uncomfortable with the fact that Concord was purchased "from the Indians".

Ceremonial Stones from Honey Hollow VT

[From reader Hazel over several emails]

I'm including for fun, some of my favorite images of the stones I have 'discovered' in Honey Hollow, VT. I have also seen the impressive sites at Wolfrun/West Bolton(noted by N Muller and NEARA) and I think these sites are related, being directly north/south of each other, with the Winooski River between them. I shared my findings with Mike Luoma, who recently visited and feels these findings are genuine. I am working on a map - not counting stone rows, I have over 20 + different stone formations noted. Everything from 'typical' stone prayers, to prominent directionals, niches and 'stone spells' as you call them - which I agree seem different then the prayer-type piles. I read Manitou for the first time this summer and now suddenly, I cannot seem to go ANYWHERE in the woods without finding things.

This perched boulder points directly 0* north and is within a few degrees of the biscuit cairns at Wolfrun. I have found several perfectly north directionals at Honey Hollow but this one was most compelling and is very large. I love the way it seems to mimic the opposite ridge. 

Some more from Honey Hollow…

And this I found high above the colonial clutter, on the western ridge of Honey Hollow. I couldn’t ignore the 315* NW orientation, as if aligned with summer solstice sunset or winter sunrise. I know my boyfriend can’t wait for me to drag him up there again on 12/21 at 6 am LOL 

And these are some of the cairns at Wolfrun, directly north of Honey Hollow…

***

I've always noticed them but only recently did I learn that they may have some significance.  State archaeologist Nick Bellantoni came to this area 22 years ago because of an Indian burying ground in the area.  I had him come to this area on my property and he said it was probably an area of Indian settlement:  A terrace with an adjacent steep-ish slope.  There is a circle of large flat stones, and there is a spring and a small wetland very nearby.

This last one is very large, maybe 15ft or more, on a hillside. The cairn is on adjoining land trust land.

***

I took more pictures today, sent to you as files, of the large mound which, lol, I over-estimated to be too tall.  I'd say it's only about 7-8 ft or a bit taller.  The mound is at the bottom of a steep-ish slope (elevation drop of 50 feet over 300 feet on a hill which is like a symmetrical bowl, on an upland terraced site, the bowl being a large extended triangular mound at the base of it).  Included is a small "cave" on the mound which extends in a couple of feet.  

This mound is in a straight line with the humanoid-fish-turtle like structure that is roughly 300 feet away due around 10-15 degrees degrees west of north, so I guess true magnetic north.

If you could guess, I'm interested in the possible date of these structures.  I always thought the mound was colonial and the low effigy was a place where someone buried a pet, but every time I passed I thought it was way too elaborate for that.

From Mike Luoma

Hope you're doing well... In my ongoing attempt to educate folks about Indigenous stonework, I'm offering my thoughts on designed elements in Effigy Rows in a new video based on my notebook sketch page "What I Look For In The Stones" which I thought you might find interesting. Any feedback or thoughts are certainly welcome. At the very least, hope you enjoy: https://youtu.be/YYTA83pW0AA?si=PGfoWAaTlkE8d8GC

NESSHIE - In search of Nashoba

 (4) In Search of Nashobah, Part 1 - Site 000345 - YouTube

Southern AZ. Is that a pyramid? ...You decide

part 1:

part 2: