Geofacts from New England

[Ariel3]

I just happened upon this site and I am hoping for some feed back into an artifact/geofact controversy I have been thinking about. I live nearby a brook in Southern New England that recently had a new section cut by a course change in the stream. In a section about the size of a small flower garden I found a large number (60-70) stones that might have been geofacts resembling various natural objects, typically people and animals. It is my assumption that these had to have been gathered by someone, long ago. Some thoughts that might apply follow:

1) there is an Algonquian myth about a serpent that tried to devour the world.
2) the hare represented an important deity
3) there are simulacra of a lion, tiger, and bear, the main predators.
4) the triangular quartz stone is decorated on both major faces with a) a sleeping child and b) a crested bird.

Though I understand the tendency to see these as freaks of nature, probability suggests that 60 or so of these freaks would not be found together. They must have been gathered, and I think, modified.

 

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[Greastart]

I hope you're right. As a non-geofact collector, I see rocks. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than I will join the conversation.

 

[Ariel3]

Geofacts from New England Part 2: Men and Monsters

Here we have a strange selection of men and monsters.

1) The face of an angry man. Notice the bared teeth on his right side.
2) The face of a deathly entity.
3) A tiger-like animal biting the head of a man from behind
4) A cameo-like stone portrait of a man. Notice the details in the eyelids.
5) A dream-like monster.

These stones are all from the same small area as before in the first message. More to come.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Natural rocks. I see no modification on them. Keep looking. The real Indian stuff is out there. Gary

 

[CRUSADER]

I see no modification of any of those rocks.
Did past Humans gather them in a similar way to you;
There is only one way to know for certain, that is to find them is a sealed dateable archaeological context, which yours are not.

 

[Silvermonkey]

Welcome to T-Net Ariel3. I have a hard time seeing what you're seeing.I do agree with Gary...there are a great many native American artifacts to be found in New England. Good luck with your continuing search.

 

[Ariel3]

The main point is geofacts are equally distributed. If the probability of finding a representational geofact in location A is x, then the probability of finding y such geofacts in location A should be close to x to the y power. In this case we are talking impossible coincidences,

 

[Ariel3]

Of course they are rocks. But they don't look much like any rocks found in this area. I am 70 so I have seen many rocks. The portrait stones I find especially striking. Try and find a similar one on the internet. Have lunch first. Good hunting

 

[Ariel3]

It is not easy to see modifications in pictures, I admit. But they are there. Also, I speculate the stones were chosen because the artist thought a natural similarity existed in the stone. They were worked with grinding tools. Anyone can see the stones do not look "natural" in the sense that they appear to have unnatural images represented on them. The bird stone with the child carved on one side is clearly worked. Solid quartz does not deteriorate like that. Observe the tool marks at top of the bird's head.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

They are all natural stones with erosion by nature. It's called Pareidolia.

"Pareidolia ( / pærɪˈdoʊliə / parr-i-DOH-lee-ə) is the tendency for incorrect perception of a stimulus as an object, pattern or meaning known to the observer, such as seeing shapes in clouds, seeing faces in inanimate objects or abstract patterns, or hearing hidden messages in music"

Pareidolia - Wikipedia

Check out the images in link below.
pareidolia rocks - Bing images

More images..
pareidolia - Bing images

 

[Mud Hut]

I remember when a guy from Austin saw Jesus on a tortilla..

 

[Ariel3]

Are you claiming you cannot see the simulacra in the stones? Because the thing about pareidolia is the images are there, they are just naturally created.

 

[Ariel3]

I see. But this is like buying a package of tacos and finding a different apostle on each one.

 

[galenrog]

Remember, boys and girls, that a geofact is a natural stone that has some superficial resemblance to an artifact.

Time for more coffee.

 

[Ariel3]

In an artistic mode all resemblances are superficial. I have yet to hear an explanation for the multiplicity of the atypical stones.

 

[Fat]

Mother Nature does the hardest and the most beautiful of all work and makes it look the easiest.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Are you claiming you cannot see the simulacra in the stones? Because the thing about pareidolia is the images are there, they are just naturally created.

All of yours are naturally created as well.

Did you look at the link I posted with pictures on them?

 

[GoDeep]

I have yet to hear an explanation for the multiplicity of the atypical stones.

Nature.

 

[Ariel3]

The error you are making: pareidolia does not occur in long sequences. It is an incidental or occasional effect. Also, the majority of the items pictured represent things that sort of look like something else, but nothing real, like for example, the head of a lion.

 

[Ariel3]

Nature is highly replicative. I know of no other such collection. Bluntness is much like pointlessness.