Follow up: American Indian Stonehenge

[Bodkin]

On Oct. 22, 2019 I posted these pictures of strange carved stones found on a small mound in the woods on a friend's property. He told me to "have at it" with the metal detector and I finally got back there to see what was dropped. Well, when I first saw these back in Oct. I thought I hit the jackpot. Nope!!! I started detecting right at the top in the middles of the stones and and did a very tight spiral outward. Nothing! And when I say nothing I mean nothing!!! I don't believe I ever found less in an area where you know there has been human activity. The only thing I found was some barbed wire fence which leads me to believe this was some type of watering trough for livestock or something. Strange that there would be a bunch of them on this mound where animals would have to climb up to get at it. Plus, there's a stream right next to these. Still can't figure these out for sure. If anyone has any better ideas I'd certainly like to hear them. Thank you for looking and any for thoughts.

 

[A2coins]

Trough was my first thought also that would explain finding barbed wire and nothing else. Hope someone can ID those

 

[RW]

Interesting. In what state is this located? Would it be too much trouble to get a leaf blower out there and clear it out for better photos? With a stream close by could it have been some sort of mill? What type of agriculture is the area known for?

 

[releventchair]

Tanning hides.
Leaching acorns.
Washing laundry in heated water in winter.
Mixing pemmican.
Grinding grain or acorns or other mast crops with a large (wood baton type were used in hollowed stumps/rounds of wood if memory serves right...) pestle.

Whatever someone wanted a trough for.....

 

[broken_detector]

Maybe a cistern?

 

[Digger RJ]

For grinding nuts/etc.?

 

[BrassEagle]

Are they rock or cement? If they are rock why would they be carve out a large sq. with round corners rock. Here in Ca, all the grounding stones are on bed rock that I have seen. How deep is the hole? If cement and they were made there I would think you would have found nails from the forms they look to big to make some place else and move.

 

[Ziggy-Grimm]

Obviously, they are ancient alien megaliths.

 

[civil_war22]

I’m thinking a wash area, with a creek nearby the cattle would have water, that rock wouldn’t hold enough grain for one animal let alone many. I think you’re on a Native American site. We’ve found holes ground in to stone from them washing, grinding grains, acorns, whatever they wanted to grind, and also they weren’t neandrothals, they were pretty smart as far as making tools, if the sun hits that one rock just right it may be a wash area that keeps the water warm. Like someone else said, I’d blow some leaves off, and maybe scratch around the dirt a bit to see if you found any flint, ash, or any signs of Native American culture. You’ll never know if it’s that old or something modern if you don’t try, and find out, and for Pete’s sake, don’t mention it to any Archy, they’ll have that whole place shut off, and down.

 

[broken_detector]

They definitely look cement and look like blocks, we have random blocks like that in woods, they used em for the highway here as a way to keep from landslides while they worked on mountain. We find alot of our big blocks in the creeks just randomly laying there.

 

[civil_war22]

Dangit someone call Scott Wolter , and have him date them. I can tell by the aggregate they’re not all that modern, and if it’s concrete it would be a very crude job. The sides are too rocky looking to be a pre-formed concrete block mixed from used concrete that you can get at Concrete mixing plants.

 

[david680]

Well, if you think it might be Native American, why would you expect to find much in the way of metal? If its more than 500 years old I would be surprised if there any metal at all and would expect any artifacts to be bone, ceramic or lithic. The lack of metal points to this either being dumped there more recently, or possibly more ancient origins.

 

[broken_detector]

Guys I guess first question to ask if its native American is to ask which state they are in?

 

[Jeff H]

My first impression is that it is a colonial era work site. But you really should find at least some metal if they were made there. It is possible the were made elsewhere and dragged there. A couple of oxen can skid a lot of weight, especially in the snow. But it is odd you found zero metal.

 

[broken_detector]

Wish he would answer some of the questions we have asked it might help.

 

[Plumbata]

Yes, what state are these in? The stone appears to be soapstone (steatite) which is very soft and easily carved. In the 19th century various enterprises out east engaged in the quarrying and carving of soapstone basins, sinks, troughs, stove walls, heating blocks etc. Looks like either a reject dump from such a business or maybe an unfinished project by someone making their own using a likely nearby outcrop. I bet ya a dollar that they are less than 300 years old and that Indians had nothing to do with them, but they are still very interesting. Did you try scratching or poking at them? All but the hardest steatite can be very easily scratched with one's fingernail.

 

[Tom Slikes53]

Dangit someone call Scott Wolter , and have him date them. I can tell by the aggregate they’re not all that modern, and if it’s concrete it would be a very crude job. The sides are too rocky looking to be a pre-formed concrete block mixed from used concrete that you can get at Concrete mixing plants.

lol, I actually just sent a link off to Scott before seeing this post. I was on his show and we communicate occasionally. He usually get back to me in short order. I'll let you know....

 

[Tom Slikes53]

My first thought is that these are cement, they look like they were haphazardly dumped there by heavy machinery.

 

[civil_war22]

lol, I actually just sent a link off to Scott before seeing this post. I was on his show and we communicate occasionally. He usually get back to me in short order. I'll let you know....

Please do. I’m pretty good with rocks, and aggregate materials. I’ve worked at a mining/ quarry company, and done blasting, and drilling, so those rocks look very interesting to me. I’m not a forensic geologist by no means, but can usually tell the approximate type of stone, and whether it’s man made or natural.

 

[Tom Slikes53]

Please do. I’m pretty good with rocks, and aggregate materials. I’ve worked at a mining/ quarry company, and done blasting, and drilling, so those rocks look very interesting to me. I’m not a forensic geologist by no means, but can usually tell the approximate type of stone, and whether it’s man made or natural.

whatever they are I would say they have some value, as a lawn ornament etc. the only problem would be getting them out of there....