Modern Use - Rockpiles and Walls - Part 2

With more than 5 feet of snow in the Laurel Highlands - I am digging out old stuff. This is from Spring. This is one of a set of walls behind the rockpile with the flag -  following up from my previous post. Besides the two large rockpiles. This site contains: springs, walls, low rockpiles and a couple of earthen mounds. More shots of wall 1.

This wall runs sort of like an L.

Wall 2

With another old fence. Now this was the site of an old farmstead from 1900 to about the 1980's.

Moving on - right by the fence is this:

Then this

Wall 3 - Low to the Ground - with another old fence.

Heading over to the springs - This is Spring 1

Spring 2

Spring 3

And they all feed into this small pool

This pool and the springs that feed it could have been a watering hole for animals and humans. But the whole system looks more than 100 years old to me.
Also at the site this small earthen mound and though it's hard to tell - another is in the distance - but these could also have been made by a bulldozer - but looking at them in person - I get the feeling they are manmade.

My overall feeling about this site is mixed. At times, it almost looks like a text book case of "how to build a rockpile site" but then it also looks like some structures might have been freshed up and rebuilt. This is now the site of a summer camp - which is why you see the grass cut. But I can tell you I have found stone tools like grinding stones and hammer stones along the side of the road there after a good, hard rain.

Site off Mountain Road - Part 1

I first talked about this site here:  rockpile-site-lower-yoder-township.

This is the best example of a very large cairn. It shows some age. And I know there are at least two more of this size (over 5 feet high) in there. But this 6 foot black rat snake made me change tactics.

So I only ended up taking some fresh pictures of some edge piles. Since I have also seen Rattle Snakes in this area. I have a healthy respect for snakes since almost getting bitten by a Copperhead while picking blueberries years ago.

A couple of things about this site. As you can see, it's a big mess. There is a small pile in the lower center of this picture. I get the sense that some of these piles could be of the burial type. Along with being convinced that some piles could be related to weather.

 As you can see it's a big mess and it's hard to even spot the piles themselves.

 I am a daily walker and go 30 miles a week. My old route and turnaround for 15 years was on the edge of this site, and I know the weather patterns up here like the back of my hand. From winter snows to thunderstorms.

There are two piles here. Since this part of the Alleghenies can make it's own weather, I've seen first hand how quickly things can go downhill from snowstorms to lightning strikes.

I am convinced that part of this site was put aside to remember or honor the weather. This next picture shows two piles.

Now there are piles of what looks like different ages to me scattered all across this area that seems to be broken up by this large spring sort of in the middle of all of this.

This looks like what remains of a stone lined water source. There is a least one large snapping turtle calling this place home.

All of the above piles are all located in the area behind this spring. Turning in the other direction is this next set of rockpiles.

As you will see, the ground cover on this side is thick, but more walk friendly. Next up is this low to the ground row.

Continuing on, finding more medium piles in the area.

To this small one.

There are so many rockpiles that I need to actually sit down and try to map out this site, to see if there is some sort of pattern in style and location.

Near Browns Farm - Part 2 - Spring (Weird Visual Effect) and Rockpile/Cairn Area

These pictures are from the middle area that has a very small spring that features a neat visual effect.
This is what the spring looks like head on. The stone sticking up at an angle on the right hand side is the one that has a trick up its sleeve.

Now check out the difference between the two different "looks" of the small rock marked with an X, when I go around to the side and back of the spring.

Now check out what happens when I go behind the spring.

It changes shapes! I would like to thank James Gage for pointing out this feature to me, when he was going thru some of the pictures from this site this week. Looking at the rock from this angle you can see that the left edge of the rock has been modified to make this visual trick possible.

The spring sort of anchors the end of a scooped out area that also hosts two rockpiles. This next picture shows the other end of the area with the first of two rockpiles.

This is the same rockpile - just behind a couple of feet away is the beginning of Wall 2 - the long wall which I will be posting pictures of.

This is the second pile. Actually not much too it - but both piles sort of form a square that you could sit in (and stay dry) in front of the spring.

Given the lay of the land - it's possible the spring might have held more water at one time becuase there is some seeping water a few feet in front of the first pile - that of course has an old pop bottle in it.

Remain of Old Spring - Decker Avenue

Remains of old spring located just off the first road to the left going up Decker Avenue. There is also some very nice old tree's besides a possible midden area (garbage hole). This could possibly be of Native American Origin. But having said this, I need to explore the area more throughly because it could also be the remains of an old logging camp for all I know.

 

Rebuilt Spring - Son's of Italy Road

This is one of two springs on the site heading to Brown's. It's located on the right side of the road. Spring I has been recently rebuild. Only portions of the bottom most layer of stones inside the spring are original. It has a metal roof. The reconstruction work is quite good and seems to mimic the general design of Spring II. Spring II appears to be in original unmodified condition. It has a capstone which creates a small low height entry into the spring. The depth of the spring is unknown but maybe shallow like Spring I. both springs are located some distance from the farmstead.

Closeup of inside. Are the springs related to the farm era? The shallow depth, long distance from the farm, and low entry of spring II would rule out any chance these springs were the water source for the farm. There was no way to get more than a couple of quarts of water out of these springs at any one time. The low entry of spring II would limit access to any farm livestock to fairly small animals like dogs or sheep. The shallow depth of spring I would not supply sufficient water for even one cow or horse. Neither spring meets the basic expectations for a farm related water source.

This the stone wall that lies between this large rebuilt spring and a smaller one that is closer to the wall. Are the springs of Native American origin? The presence of a cairn group adjacent to the springs would seem to suggest this. Spring II has the same design as a free-standing boxed-in niche which is found in the New England area. This is evidence in favor of a Native American interpretation. After some discussion, we believe these are spirit portals to the Underworld via the springs. They may be also specifically related to a Spring Water Spirit.