Mounds and Skull - Lower Yoder Township

It was just a beauitful day for being in the woods. Spotted this large, mess of a rock mound right off the bat.

RJ is standing on what's left of am old military road that probably dates from the French and Indian War.

Showing off a section of the originial Mountain Road - that dates to at least 1774 according to 'Frontier Forts of Western Pennsylvania'.

I just can't seem to ever stay from this stone skull - I always take a couple of shots of it when passing this way.

I think I am about the only one that thinks this is something - and I always will.

This is the first mound I ever found many years ago and it will always continue to be my favorite. This is about 1/2 mile from the stone skull.

Closeup - but around the other side

A hollow - that looks like it was built that way.

Found this new small rockpile nearby.

Evans Hill Area - Part 3

Out of the woods and back to the field full of very large - round rockpiles. RJ is about to check out this rockpile - which I believe is field clearing with an older - round rockpile in the distance.

This is one of those rockpiles that shows up in the 1939 aerial shot. But like I said - looks like field clearing. Though having said that - it is built up on the bottom like the others - I guess someone could have dumped these larger stones on top. But I really don't think so.

This is a shot of the large rockpile that was in the distance. Off to the left hand side (not shown on this picture) was this...

Is this possible rock mound - but I didn't get a chance to check this possible structure out better - just off in the woods.

Another rockpile in the field - made up of larger stone - which again looks more like field clearing. But it looks like there might be something off in the distance - that I didn't have time to follow up on.

Another rockpile - with the previous pile behind it - this is hard to tell - considering the size of the tree growing out of it. But I do think it's more likely to be field clearing.

But now we're heading to a section that I do believe are structures of very large size. See what I mean about bigger stone on the outside and smaller used in the middle.

Some of these larger rockpiles are built up higher on one side - actually they are all built up (like a ramp) on the same side of each of these.

And again - it looks like a possible manitou stone in the upper left hand side.

Another rockpile - but first - before I talk about this one - there is another rockpile underneath where that tree fell in the distance. But I didn't get a chance to get any shots of it.

This stone is actuallly wedged in there pretty good - with what looks like some stray bullet damage.

The center of the structure.

This is another rockpile - note the 'ramp'.

RJ heading to the ramp.

It's built up more like a small wall - with the mound off in the distance.

Another rockpile in the same area - that looks like field clearing to me.

The thing is just a mess.

RJ off to check out another of the rockpiles.

Again - larger stone on the outer ring - smaller towards the center.

Evans Hill Area - Part 1

Spent some quality time exploring the woods all around the Evans Hill Mound. And everytime I go - I am even more convinced this site is Native American and a Solar Calender. But the problem lies in not being able to search the site in gridlike patterns - that I like to do. As I have said before - the locals are none too friendly. And there were three of us - my little nephew and reader Bill Carney. So whenever I go out there - I always feel like this time - I'll be arrested. I'm not used to that. On my side of the Laurel Mountains - no one ever bothers me - which is the way I like it. But enough complaining. And on a more positive note - on to my visit:

Imagine the area around the mound in the shape of the letter U. The mound would be at the top and this area would be the back, bottom left of the U. Walking into the woods from the strip mine road (remember the strip mine is behind this site) . These simple, multiple rockpiles and rock on rocks greet you. There are actually seven of these types in this shot.

Some are large and some of smaller along with some following in lines to each other.

Little RJ taking his measurements of this nice, simple rock on rock.

A semi-oval rockpile with the strip mine in the distance. The ever expanding strip mine has already destroyed a lot.

More rock on rock - besides being timbered in the past.

It's probably hard to tell from this shot - but this rockpile is oval and shows it's age.

Three rockpiles here.

The next couple of pictures shows different angles of this possible structure. I'm not entirely convinced this is something. But having said that. It is a rockpile - shaped like a cigar - it's those two rocks tipped together that are interesting. Looking through the opening - you can just barely see THIS ROCK SHELTER.

 And this makes it even more interesting with two possible manitou stones touching - surrounded by a circle of rock which is on top of a small low to the ground boulder.

Another closer look

This is the view looking out the opposite direction

This rock on rock reminds of a bird effigy

A cairn showing it's age

Just out of the woods with the mound and larger rockpiles in the distance.

Evans Hill Mound - Winter Solstice - Background Information

This is an image of the area we have been studying from 1930 courtesy of http://www.pennpilot.psu.edu/. Thought I'd take the time to recap some of the discoveries we have been making into one complete post. I've circled the mound at Evans Hill - the arrow is pointing to one group of rockpiles (there are many more rockpiles there)  and the area circled inside APX is where THIS ROCK SHELTER is located along with more rockpiles and two sets of walls.

This is a shot from the rock shelter - the shelter also has a unique feature - two grinding holes on the roof.

And this is the Evans Hill mound as seen from what's left of the rock shelter. To recap some of what Reader Bill Carney and myself have been discovering - first off in the area near the rock shelter:

Rockpiles of this type - low to the ground - but slightly built up

Cairns - in this example - turtlelike - there are many more structures in the area - that I could see - but we just didn't have the time to investigate.

And two sets of walls - this is the first shorter with bigger stone. Now there used to be a farm there - the walls most likely probably date from then. At least I think this one does...

But this one which is longer - looks to me to be a bit on the older side and it's built to withstand the wind - I have a feeling this wall might pre-date the farm. For more on this area CLICK HERE. Now on to the area getting closer to the mound.

Cairns such as this example - the whole area within at least a quarter mile is loaded with possible structures.

Along with this beautiful grinding stone - when we stopped at the home of the owner of this land - his yard had more possible cairns - but I felt kind of funny about taking pictures there. So at this point - we have a rock shelter, many rockpiles and cairns and two sets of walls - that we have found so far. Now onto the mound in question.

You can see two piles in this shot and what looks like a possible manitou stone. To help give you an understanding of the area - so far we have found structures to the left, middle and righthand sides of this photo along with assorted arrowheads. The pile in the foreground looks promising - CLICK HERE for the video Bill shot....but unfortunately....

When the snow melted this rockpile as you can see has been reworked into a shooting target - so it's impossible to tell how this possible manitou might have been placed or used within this rockpile.

The following three images of the site is courtesy of Kathy K - she runs twoheadwaters.blogspot.com and these Google Earth images were written up on a post about the site CLICK HERE at rockpiles.blogspot.com.

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In regards to this Google Earth shot Kathy says "I don't think Google Earth accounts for the tree line. I also think the accuracy of Google Earth is distorted because the image comes out as if you are floating about 10 feet off the ground (this is a rough guess based on USGS topo compared to the Google Earth image altitude). First hand accounts are, of course, much better than simulations, but I find it's great for looking at sites in a general sense. It also keeps me looking at the horizon whenever I'm at a site, even if it's not clearly visible from a structure, I try to move around until I can see the horizon and take a picture."
Now this is an actual shot of the sunset

I'd asked Bill - if he had a chance to head out to the site last week for the Winter Solstice - to see if maybe on the off chance the area might be set up as a "calender" marking the change of seasons. This is what the setting sun looked like on 12-24. Interesting - but this theory of mine could very well be why this site is set up the way it is - but does need alot more investigation to prove and how the rockpiles might lineup and track the skies. CLICK HERE  for more video Bill shot of this section. Here are some stills of a couple of more circlelike rockpiles found there:

Circle 1 - the mound is just beyond those trees

Circle 2

Circle 3

Circle 4

And circle 5 - but hold on to your hat - it gets even better - we also have the following even closer to the mound:

More rockpiles

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this one looks like it might have a possible hollow

and if these rockpiles aren't enough....I also have the following for you:

A bunch of these smaller type rockpiles and for dessert 

this nice little split-wedge example to nibble on. 

This site holds such great promise - and it's going to be a project to mark the exact GPS of all the structures involved - and that's going to take some time - but that's the way it is - and we have searched only some sections quickly - there is a vast area yet to be explored - and we are on a deadline for certain areas because the strip mine located there is expanding - there is also a Marcellus Gas Well in an area a couple of miles behind the mound. But when it comes to taking shots of the mound itself - so far we have been unable to convince the landowner to let us on the actual mound. In fact we got booted off - none too nicely when we asked - and we were very polite about it. 

This site is driving me crazy because I am thinking about it all the time - because with hunting season and my shift and the occassional snow - it just hasn't been in cards for me to spend quality time there.