In Search of the Stone Chamber- Episode Three

 I have to think that people who investigate things for a living, whether it be crimes, causes of pandemics, or possible CSL’s start the process by learning all they can about the subject of the investigation. This way, when they arrive at a crime scene, a laboratory, or a place in the woods, they have some idea of what they’re looking for. Then there are those of us who just dive right into the deep end with very little, if any, information. 

After my second trip, I returned home to spend some quality time with my computer. I started by looking through websites that were full of information and pictures of cairns, stone walls, stone prayers, and stone chambers. After this, I was convinced that I had found a CSL.

I then went to the NEARA database and looked for any additional information they might have. After searching, I found some more information. Not much, but more than I had. I came across two pictures.

NEARA Transit

One was a picture of the chamber, the second was a picture of a possible Native American marker tree. I also came across an article in an old issue of the “Transit”. This article featured the same two pictures, along with a brief description of the location. 

NEARA Transit

Looking at the pictures, I thought, “How hard can it be to find these things?” I had some doubts about the tree, since I had no information on the date they were taken. There was a good possibility the tree had fallen or been cut down. I also am not a strong believer in marker trees. If this stone chamber was pre-colonial or even post-contact, the Native Americans would have had to have groomed this tree centuries ago. Would it really be possible for a tree to survive that long? 

NEARA Report

I couldn’t gather much information from the tree picture, other than I could see a paved road in the background. That was more than I could get from the picture of the stone chamber. It appeared to have been dug into the side of a hill. The area around it was bare of any trees or ground cover; however, there wasn’t much area to see. It also appeared to be on the smaller side. 

Stone Prayer

From information I had gathered about stone chambers I was able to make some assumptions as to where this one might be. Although not always, many chambers seem to be orientated to either the east or the west. This is because it is believed they may have been aligned with the solstices. They are also mainly on slopes. I would begin my search by hiking along the slopes facing east and west. 

Enclosure?

Of course, if I found the marker tree, I would then draw a line from it to the direction it was pointing. (I thought that was a stroke of genius) I have recently acquired an app on my phone called CalTopo that has all kinds of useful information, especially for some one who has lived under a rock most of my life. This app will allow me to mark the location of the tree and then draw a line along the axis it was pointing to. Using the lidar feature will also allow me to see interesting structures on the ground I might not otherwise see.

Armed with this information, and a plan, it was time to head back to the location.  

In search of the Stone Chamber - Episode Two

I have to admit something, I’m not much of a scientist. As much as I try to stay focused and follow some kind of scientific approach, I’m much like a dog who tries to follow a scent, and a squirrel runs by. Off he goes after the squirrel until the next thing grabs his attention. 

Going into my second visit to the site, my intention was to begin at the cairn and proceed along an east-west axis, documenting as I went. I would travel about 500 feet before moving 30 or so feet north and then heading back. This would keep me on a grid-like pattern. 

Cairn

I arrived at the cairn and noticed the first stone prayer about 10 feet to the east. Off in the distance, maybe 50 feet to the southeast, I spotted another stone prayer and another to the north. From there, I had to check out the glacial erratic over to the left, and before I knew it, my grid was more like a plate of spaghetti. 

First Trip

I did have a productive day, however. I counted approximately 15 to 25 stone prayers. I say approximately because some of them were covered with debris, some may have been knocked down if they were stone prayers, and some may have been field clearing piles. I knew I would be coming back to explore more. 

Stone Prayer

In addition to the stone prayers I also located three stone foundations in various states of disrepair. The largest I believe was a large “bank” barn. Farmers would often build barns into the side of a hill or bank. This would provide easy access to the second floor for wagons and other farm implements. 

The second foundation was smaller, and it was a small outbuilding. I could not determine what it may have been used for. 

Stone Prayer

The third foundation was for a fairly large house. I could see the remains of the chimney, which was in the middle of the basement. 

Stone Row

I also saw a series of stone walls. Some of these were very well made and several feet high. Others were much simpler in their design, two or three courses high. These walls were sometimes connected and had lengthy sections. Others were short, independent sections, not connected with the other sections. 

There were no trails or paths connecting them. 

Effigy?

Due to time constraints, I needed to end my exploration. Although it was a very productive day, I did not find a stone chamber or anything that even resembled one. 

Cairn Close-up

My next step would be more research. 

In Search of a Stone Chamber - Episode One

Some people may call me crazy, and others might say I’m just plain weird, but I have developed an obsession with walking through the woods looking at rocks. I’ve even been known to talk to them at times. Every rock has a story to tell.

My latest adventure led me to a place in the woods, where, according to the Northeast Antiquarian Research Society (NEARA) online database, a ceremonial stone landscape (CSL) and possibly a stone chamber are located. Unfortunately, there isn’t much information available about this place, except for a brief description of its location and what might be there. I knew what my next step would be - locate and document this site.

Cairn

The first step in this journey was to locate the site. The directions in the database were simple and easy to follow. They took me to a spot in the Yale-Myers Forest, a beautiful forest managed by Yale University that features many hiking trails and ruins. This site is off a marked trail, although the trail itself does not go through the CSL. It is also easily accessed from a local road.

On a chilly late-winter day, I traveled to the site, fully expecting not to find it easily. From past experiences, it usually takes me two or three trips to locate a place. I found it on the first trip. Well, some of it. There was a cairn, which was quite obvious, and several stone prayers. I had already been exploring that day, and I was pressed for time, so I only had time for a quick walk. It was enough to know that this was the place and I would have to come back.

Stone Prayer

Arriving home, I searched the New England Antiquities Research Association (NEARA) online database for additional information on this site. I found two pieces of information. The first was a copy of a handwritten report on the site written in 2002. It included directions to the site, a brief description of what is there, and two pictures of a stone chamber and a Native American “marker” tree. How hard could that be to find?

This would mean another trip into the woods. I’ll talk about that trip in a later post. 

Side Bar

I want to address something I have been struggling with. That is the issue of divulging the location of the sites I find. There are two schools of thought on this matter. One is that they should be made public so that others can visit and study them. 

The other side is that they should remain hidden. There is a legitimate concern that if a site’s location is made public, it will be open to vandalism. Unfortunately, this is a very real concern. There are those outside the preservation community who would like nothing more than to topple a cairn or deface a stone chamber with spray paint. I am on the fence about this. 

I would love to be able to find these sites so I can document them with pictures, but there is so little information regarding their locations I spend hours trying to find information on them. 

I love walking through the woods, but I could see a lot more with the correct information. I have reviewed the NEARA online database (accessible only to members), but unless I’m missing something, there is very limited information. When I find something, I do send the information to the appropriate people, although I never hear back from them. Well, except for one time. 

For the time being, I will not disclose location information. If you are a skilled detective, you may be able to determine the location. And if you're really serious, you can email me, and we can discuss it further. 

More to come.