Foxboro State Forest - From Norman Mulller

I went to Foxboro State Forest early in September to see and photograph that unusual probable 'turtle' construction that Larry Harrop had photographed and posted on his website. Curious that when that website on the Foxboro State Forest lithic sites appeared online, the author did not point this out. Anyway, that was my main point of interest, but I did stop by the pedestaled boulder on my way and took a few shots (Images 0012, 0015)

before trying to find this other site, which is not that easy when one does not have a GPS unit along. It requires some bushwhacking.

The 'turtle' effigy site is on rocky knoll, largely free of trees (Images 0016, 0017, 0018).
Image 0018 is an overall image of the site, showing the 'turtle' effigy in the foreground, a large boulder in the rear to the left, and the curious 'prayer seat' in back and to the right. The 'turtle' is certainly very impressive and convincing. Larry had taken some shots of the site about two or three years ago, one of which was of the large boulder erratic (Image 0023),
which in one frame seemed to be supported by a smaller stone. I then headed for that, and underneath, at the far end was a bright, brick colored rounded support stone (Image 0028A).
It had some light spots on it that I interpreted as inclusions in the rock.

I didn't know quite what to make of the supposed 'prayer seat' (Image 0021)
It certainly looks old, and its location quite a distance from any trail, plus with the other features on the knoll, makes it likely that this is not Colonial in date. But what is it? Perhaps a petroform is the best designation, although the seat-like structure at one end is curious and would allow one to sit facing the boulder).

When I got back home, I wrote to Larry and told him about the red stone underneath the boulder. I believe he had seen and photographed this a year or two before, but he kindly went back to the site and took some good detail photos of the red stone (Image -529).

(photo by Larry Harrop)

The spots that I interpreted as inclusions turn out to be small spots of lichen. Larry also found a similar red stone in the very center of the back part of the 'prayer seat' (Image 528; 527 is a close-up of the stone),

(photo by Larry Harrop)

(photo by Larry Harrop)

which he said aligned perfectly with the one supporting the boulder. While it would be interesting to determine what kind of red stone this is, Herman Bender concluded that it is the red color which is significant and not the lithology.

Turtle Cairns In Rhode Island

by JimP

An obvious pattern is evident in possible turtle cairns found in Rhode Island. I'm interested if anyone out there has seen cairns of similar construction. This first one above is from a site I've called The Queen's Cairns on the Exeter/West Greenwich line. This is perhaps the finest construction of any I have seen. Note the rounded back and distinctive rock protruding from the front which likely serves as the head of the turtle.
The next one above is a Larry Harrop photo taken at Parker Woodland in Coventry, RI. Note, once again, the distinctive protruding head. This one seems to have been built with a possible niche between what would be the front legs of the turtle.
Above is another Larry Harrop photo, this one taken at the Miner Farm at Tomaquag. Once again you see the distinctive rock possibly used as the head of the turtle. Having seen this one in person I can say that the head does indeed protrude, but not as much as the others.
The last one above is a Larry Harrop photo taken at the Watemoonsuck site in Hopkinton. This one seems identifiable only by its distinctive head rock protruding from the front -- a rock very similar to the others pictured above. It appears this cairn has been damaged either by collapse, perhaps a falling tree limb, or someone who removed the stones for some other use. The site does show evidence of multiple uses over multiple generations.

Here's an earlier post from Peter Waksman on this blog regarding this very topic which includes a couple more photos of similar cairns.

http://rockpiles.blogspot.com/2006/01/turtle-piles-v1.html

If anyone knows of more cairns of like construction please contact me by e-mail -- jimporter@NOSPAMmenotomyjournal.com (remember to remove NOSPAM from the address before sending.)

Standing stones from Larry Harrop

Larry Harrop photos....you go look: [Click here]

Bob Miner's Photo Galleries

by JimP

Just a heads-up for anyone who has missed them. You all know about Larry Harrop's awesome photo galleries. Larry Harrop is also hosting galleries of photographs taken by Bob Miner as the two of them explore Southern New England. Bob has amassed a respectable collection so far. Check 'em out!

[CLICK HERE] to visit Bob Miner's photo galleries.

The photo above of a propped boulder was taken by Bob Miner in Rockville, RI. Peter Waksman has actually seen that propped boulder in person, albeit from a distance.

More From Larry Harrop - Tefft Hill (RI)

by JimPOnce again I gave directions to Larry Harrop so he could find yet another rock pile site that I knew about in the Arcadia Management Area. Arcadia is an interesting place for study because so much of it is completely devoid of features, yet there are sizable patches of stone structure sites to be found dotting the landscape here and there -- most found in close association with hills above spring-fed wetlands.

[CLICK HERE] to see Larry's gallery from Tefft Hill.

New From Larry Harrop -- Arcadia Management Area (RI)

by JimP
Larry Harrop has some new galleries up from his visit with Bob Miner to the Arcadia Management Area in Rhode Island. Here are a few of the photos:

First, a nice split-wedge:A couple of the wonderful cairns:A nice propped boulder:

[CLICK HERE] to see the rest of Larry's photos from this site.

New Gungywamp Photos From Larry Harrop

posted by JimPApparently our old friends Larry Harrop and Bob Minor spent some time at Gungywamp recently. [Click Here] to see more photos and read Larry's blog entries.

Propped boulders and Manitou stones - slideshow from Larry Harrop

Norman Muller calls attention to this link to a slideshow of Larry Harrop's:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=larhar2#p/u/0/4E-DEwzwnck

New Blog From Larry Harrop

posted by JimPCheck out Larry's new blog!
http://www.blog.harrop.us/

Some Larry Harrop pictures

If you haven't already seen these, Larry Harrop has some interesting pictures of a place in CT called "Hazelnut Hill". [Click here] Includes Indian mortar stones and rock piles.

New Exeter, RI Site From Larry Harrop

by JimP

Larry Harrop's two latest blog posts show a new site in Exeter, RI with rock piles and propped boulders. Check it out!
Click here for Larry's blog.

Bob Miner's Photos on Larry Harrop's Blog

by JimPNice manitou stone! In case you haven't been over to see Larry Harrop's blog, I wanted to draw attention to a site Bob Miner photographed in Rhode Island. This area is a tiny part of an enormous rock pile complex that encompasses multiple towns and stretches clear into another state. Just an amazing and vast area of rock piles.

Click here for Larry's blog.

Rest in peace Larry Harrop

Our community will be sad to hear that Larry Harrop died. No details are available, other than that he died in early June.

Larry was an occasional contributor to this blog and, although I only met him once, I always thought Larry took the best rock pile photographs. He did a wonderful job capturing the mystery, atmosphere, lighting, color, and beauty, of rock pile sites- mostly in Rhode Island. When I think of Larry I will always think of rock piles in the fog. His photos remain imprinted in my mind. 

His photo albums disappeared quickly from the internet but we have a few here to remind us of his work. See here.

Franklin MA "Indian Fort" lost and found?

Chris Pittman writes:

I wanted to share these photos with you of a site in Franklin, MA. This is the Franklin "Indian Fort" described in "Manitou". Derek Gunn showed me this place last year and I have been visiting often, after many hours at this large site I still am not sure I have seen it all. There are probably miles of stone rows and the size and quantity of propped and pedestaled boulders and slabs is really extraordinary. Here are the photos: http://stoneruins.cellarwalls.com/#30.0 There are 50 photos, please look at all of them. The photos by no means show all of what is there, only highlights. There are rows on berms and what appear to possibly be other earthworks as well. In Manitou, the authors indicate that this place is known locally as an Indian Fort. I can tell you, this place is not mentioned in any of the histories of Franklin, the town Historical Society had never heard of it, and long-time residents in the area that I spoke with had never heard of it, including a woman who has lived less than a mile away for the past 90+ years. A couple of the stones in one part of the "Fort" have marks from steel drills, I did notice. Peter, the photos of the archaeological dig I sent you this week are from this site. I spoke with an archaeologist who told me that the flags I saw were from an archaeological survey, the type of survey routinely done when federally funded construction projects threaten to damage a site. The person I spoke with indicated that he believed that the notations on the flags indicate prehistoric artifacts or features were found. I fear that there may be some kind of construction planned for this area. Next week I am going to find out who owns this land, I have assumed it is town property but I am not sure. I am also going to try to learn more about the findings of the archaeological survey. I live in Franklin close to this site and would be happy to show anybody where it is. I would like to hear your impressions based on these photos. There are an incredible number of ticks at this site so it is best to avoid the place in the warmer months.

Norman Muller writes:
Larry Harrop went to this site in November or early December and photographed the stone rows. He was unimpressed, thinking that the boulders looked like they had been moved around with a bulldozer. As he was leaving, a local told him the rows were constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1930s for managing wetlands. Someone should get to the truth of the matter by contacting the local historical society. Or, if that doesn’t work, there must be some way of determining just what the Corps of Engineers or the CCC did in Franklin during the Depression.

I write:
I am about 85% sure this is ceremonial - primarily because of one photo (last picture of the 2nd group of 18 photos)of a boulder on a nest of smaller rocks, not connected to a wall. Otherwise it is hardto say - a lot of boulders pulled from one place and put on top of[older?] walls made from smaller rocks. Not too much debris buildup suggests recent times but, again, that is variable.
Also, if it is a ceremonial complex, there are other types of features I would expect to see; and I do not. Where are the piles, wedged rocks, pieces of quartz, etc? It is not that those things must be there but their absence raises the level of uncertainty.

Chris replies:
Thanks for the reply. Norman e-mailed me and said that Larry Harrop was there in November and felt the rocks had been moved around with bulldozers. As he was leaving a local told him the walls had been built by the CCC in the 1930s to manage wetlands. This is a possibility. However, nearby there are some big concrete structures (cisterns) and modern berms and walls that I do believe were built during the 1930s according to other local residents. And close to that there is another site with piles and rows of boulders that were definitely made with bulldozers, although this appeared more recent, to me. When I was first looking for this site with the map from Derek, I looked in this area first and for a time I believed that the "Indian Fort" had been destroyed. There are also a couple places where these big rows of boulders taper off and become regular stone walls. I am going to e-mail Larry with the link to the photos to see if he was looking at the same structures. The tantalizing thing is that Mavor and Dix alluded to historical records that called this an Indian Fort. I have searched but have been unable to identify any such references. There are some piles at the site but none of the small well-built piles you usually find. I didn't see any split or wedged rocks but it is possible that these features are there but escaped my noticed. There is some quartz but not a lot. For me the number of instances where large boulders are balanced on small stones is remarkable and this appears to me to be deliberate. The apparent prehistoric nature of what was found in the archaeological survey interests me as well. The survey was conducted near the biggest boulders in the complex, right at the edge of the swamp. Please feel free to post the text and links on your blog. I'm not making any claims as to the age or origin of this site but I do think it is interesting and deserves attention, at least until further research clears up the question of whether these walls were in fact built by the CCC or not. If you are ever down this way I think this place is worth a look.

Update: so the sense is there is modern material here. Perhaps it is sitting over some older ceremonial material and perhaps the archeologists are finding even more ancient material there under the soil.

Split Filled Boulders along the Taconic State Parkway - with Norman Muller and Larry Harrop

Larry Harrop wrote (and I edited slightly). Let's go take a look:

I just posted a site that Norman visited.
http://rockpiles.ws/blog/index.php?/archives/2007/11/12.html

I'm sure a lot of people would enjoy seeing this beauty.
The full description with pictures is here.
http://rock-piles.com/fahnestock/index.html

New Photos From Larry Harrop - West Greenwich, RI

by JimPAnother new area of rock piles, including the above talus cave, was found by Larry Harrop near the West Greenwich/Exeter town line in Rhode Island. Click here for the gallery of new photos, including some very nice rock piles. The new photos continue to page 6 of the thumbnails.

New Larry Harrop- photo album

Larry writes in:
Got a new album called "Big River Management Area"
Here's a sample
[Click here]

For the album, see the Larry Harrop link to the right.

Small Chamber In Exeter, RI

by JimP
While exploring the Queen's Cairns site the other day, Larry Harrop and Bob Miner stumbled upon the following small chamber. It sits near an area with foundations, some of them rather odd, from what appears to be an 18th century farmsite. Larry writes:

The chamber goes in about 6 feet then turns right a couple of feet. The floor slopes down slightly from the entrance making it high enough so that you can sit up in the back. Small rocks on top fill in any gaps between the 2 slabs on the roof and a loosely built back wall. Need to bring a flash light next time to see the back where it turns. I think it turns past the boulder on the right. It could go into the berm that you see on the outside.

Approaching the entrance:At the entrance:Another view of the entrance:Bob Miner taking a photo inside the chamber:Bob's photo inside the chamber:The back of the chamber:The red circle shows an opening to the inside of the chamber:For more photos of this site [Click Here] to visit Larry Harrop's gallery. The latest photos begin on page 9.

More on the Queen's Cairns

by JimP
From my initial directions and Larry Harrop's exploration and hard work, it seems we've hit on another site of significant magnitude in Rhode Island. It appears the Queen's Cairns site rivals Hopkinton's Rockville in both size and scope. Larry writes:

I have never seen so many ground piles, split-wedged boulders, and piles on boulders. Hiked a couple of miles and I was never in an area that was void of one type of structure or another.

In addition to all the stone rows connecting boulders, ground piles, boulder piles, and split-wedged boulders, Larry talks about a different feature:

I also found a very strange foundation type wall that is impossible to photograph because of the undergrowth. It's built into the side of a hill. On the hill there are a few split and wedged boulders as well as piles on boulders. This was a wall about 10 feet long. On the right there is a 90 degree corner but this side is only 3 or 4 feet long. The left side is the same except there is a big standing stone at the end. Much too small for a typical foundation.

Larry has updated his Queen's Cairns gallery to include another 50 or so photos of this site. Also see the previous post on this blog for some video of a stone row incorporating a split-wedged boulder and standing stone. Thanks Larry!

[Click here] to visit Larry Harrop's Queen's Cairns gallery.

More From Larry Harrop

by JimPLarry Harrop has another new gallery from Exeter, RI. This time he visited the area of the, "Queen's Cairns," first reported on this blog by me here. Larry has taken many photos and captured several wonderful cairns. [Click here] to see this latest gallery.

[Click here] for all of Larry's terrific galleries.