Hi all!
I live in Ontario, Canada, and I grew up in North Frontenac County in the Canadian Shield. We're in the middle of nowhere up there. Lots of outdoorsy tourism - hunting, fishing, camping, cottagers, snowmobiling, etc. - and logging, and that's about it. I know of several suspected Native sites in that area, one of which is slowly being wrecked (a probable burial mound, actually) because a snowmobile trail passes ONE FOOT from it. Not even kidding. My parents have what looks like a burial site on their property, about 200 feet from their front door. No one knew it was there. My uncle (a hunter) discovered a grouping of white stones - which did not look like they were from the area - arranged in a circle or wheel. They were obviously not naturally occurring. And finally, on another of his treks in the woods, he found a strange low stone structure, stained with soot. It was almost like a cave or something, but the opening was only a foot or two high, not big enough to sit in. It almost looked like some kind of primitive meat smoker or something.
These have always fascinated me. I'm not interested in digging them up or "treasure hunting" them! I'm more interested in preservation and learning from them. I tried contacting the Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation in Kingston, but they did not have much information for me on how to preserve such sites - the one beside the snowmobile trail in particular. They are now defunct, and I don't know of any other organizations in the area that could help. I'd just like to maybe point these places out to Archaeology departments at universities that focus on Native American history. Anybody have any tips or comments about this?
I don't have photos of these, but I'll maybe try to get some when the weather warms up. I'll see if my uncle still has the photos of the stone circle and stone "smoke house".
I live in Ontario, Canada, and I grew up in North Frontenac County in the Canadian Shield. We're in the middle of nowhere up there. Lots of outdoorsy tourism - hunting, fishing, camping, cottagers, snowmobiling, etc. - and logging, and that's about it. I know of several suspected Native sites in that area, one of which is slowly being wrecked (a probable burial mound, actually) because a snowmobile trail passes ONE FOOT from it. Not even kidding. My parents have what looks like a burial site on their property, about 200 feet from their front door. No one knew it was there. My uncle (a hunter) discovered a grouping of white stones - which did not look like they were from the area - arranged in a circle or wheel. They were obviously not naturally occurring. And finally, on another of his treks in the woods, he found a strange low stone structure, stained with soot. It was almost like a cave or something, but the opening was only a foot or two high, not big enough to sit in. It almost looked like some kind of primitive meat smoker or something.
These have always fascinated me. I'm not interested in digging them up or "treasure hunting" them! I'm more interested in preservation and learning from them. I tried contacting the Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation in Kingston, but they did not have much information for me on how to preserve such sites - the one beside the snowmobile trail in particular. They are now defunct, and I don't know of any other organizations in the area that could help. I'd just like to maybe point these places out to Archaeology departments at universities that focus on Native American history. Anybody have any tips or comments about this?
I don't have photos of these, but I'll maybe try to get some when the weather warms up. I'll see if my uncle still has the photos of the stone circle and stone "smoke house".
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