Odd stone arrangement~ UPDATE! May be old still site!

[SkyPirate]

READ BELOW FOR UPDATE
I found this group of stones by a small stream in the middle of the woods. The stones are piled in two almost parallel lines 12' in length. the stones are piled about one foot wide and connected at one end about 2 foot wide. There is an old dead cedar tree near this that seems to have been cut part way through with an axe. Maybe the tree is a marker? maybe nothing. What could these stones be? Looks like a grave but it is extremely close to the stream. See diagram. It is made of rocks but there are a few very old broken clay bricks mixed with the rocks. Anybody have any idea what this could be? I was thinking it could have been part of a small mill but that stream is too small to support a mill. Could it have been used for some kind of irrigation? The wide wooded area along the stream bank is pretty clear compared to the rest of the woods that are thick with pines. I think it may have been a cultivated field back in the day because I have found iron parts from plows and farming equipment in various areas.
NOTE: It is on a level area next to the stream
NOTE: There are not a lot of Maple trees in this area.

UPDATE

After looking at hundreds of pictures and diagrams on Google, I have come to the conclusion that this may very well have been part of a still. The still may have sat on the stones which had a fire burning under it. May have gotten the water from the stream running by and the worm box and any other part of the device may have sat elevated on the bank next to it. Or vice versa. Sorry but my scanner cut off part of my drawing. Also, The copper pipe I found up stream next to the wooden barrel bands looks very similar to the piping in the picture.

 

[SkyPirate]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

Wondering if it had something to do with a moonshiners still.......

I was wondering that myself, Further up stream I found iron rings from wooden barrels and some pieces of thin copper pipe (not tubing), kind of like stove pipe.

 

[SkyPirate]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

maybe a channel for chamber pots

What are chamber pots?

 

[SkyPirate]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

Remains of a watering trough?

DCMatt

I was thinking it could be this or perhaps some kind of channel for irrigation.

 

[Jay-in-Pa]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

Looks like a sap pit for boiling down Maple syrup I have one in my upper woods. Are there sugar Maple Tree's in the area?

Jay

 

[traderoftreasures]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

maybe a channel for chamber pots

What are chamber pots?

ha ha ha chamber pots are what people used to use for bathroom breaks. They would fill them up and simply throw them out the window into the streets, where to sewer would run down little channels. basically part of the reason for the black plague.

 

[SkyPirate]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

Looks like a sap pit for boiling down Maple syrup I have one in my upper woods. Are there sugar Maple Tree's in the area?

Jay

No Maple trees just Oak and Pine

 

[SkyPirate]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

Come on people I need ideas! Someone out there has had to have seen something like this?

 

[kyphote]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

Wondering if it had something to do with a moonshiners still.......

I was wondering that myself, Further up stream I found iron rings from wooden barrels and some pieces of thin copper pipe (not tubing), kind of like stove pipe.

The fact that you found iron rings from barrels and copper pipe leaves no doubt that it's the base of a still. Are there other similar rocks strewn about the general vicinity? It could have been destroyed to prevent discovery. This formation is reminiscent of a reproduction still I saw that was erected by the Virginia Historical Society. Here's another similar one...

 

[Tubecity]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

Chamber pots were also called 'thunder pots' & were used at night instead of venturing out at night
to visit the outhouse. These were then emptied into the outhouse, washed out & replaced every
morning, before breakfast.

Are there any remnants of a foundation for a cabin or house nearby ? If so, could those stones be of
what remains of a springhouse where milk, butter, cheese, etc. was kept cold, chilled by the waters of
the creek trickling thru ? Seems kind of long & narrow to be a still, but there might have been many
designs for them.

 

[kyphote]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

Here's another example of an identified still. It's a still.

 

[SkyPirate]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

Your diagram and pictures are good, and give a good idea of the physical attributes of the feature, as well as its' position relative to the stream.

I am looking at it, and I cannot immediately determine any logical function. My mind proposes more questions than any sort of answers.

You said it was cultivated land at one time, is it possible that the rocks outline something that is since gone and were perhaps placed there by the farmer over the years as he gradually cleared his fields?

I have also seen elongated trenches like that used for trash dumps and latrines, and could see rocks being displaced like that if the underlying geology were somewhat rocky/ pebbly.

This is all random speculation on my part really, and the site as it is is very baffling.

The next time you are there, you could take a shovel and punch a hole down a foot or two feet, or so. It is called a shovel test, and can reveal much information without you having to do a lot of work. Maybe you could do a shovel test in the middle of the feature, and look for any noticeable changes in fill or contents. If the soil inside of it differs from that outside of the feature, then that may lend credence to the "water control" device that has been suggested.

Need more data!

Excellent work, man! Now the people have a riddle to solve!

I will try the shovel test next time I visit the area. This is also the same area as the foundation I cannot identify but the two objects are at least 500 yards apart.

 

[SkyPirate]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

Your diagram and pictures are good, and give a good idea of the physical attributes of the feature, as well as its' position relative to the stream.

I am looking at it, and I cannot immediately determine any logical function. My mind proposes more questions than any sort of answers.

You said it was cultivated land at one time, is it possible that the rocks outline something that is since gone and were perhaps placed there by the farmer over the years as he gradually cleared his fields?

I have also seen elongated trenches like that used for trash dumps and latrines, and could see rocks being displaced like that if the underlying geology were somewhat rocky/ pebbly.

This is all random speculation on my part really, and the site as it is is very baffling.

The next time you are there, you could take a shovel and punch a hole down a foot or two feet, or so. It is called a shovel test, and can reveal much information without you having to do a lot of work. Maybe you could do a shovel test in the middle of the feature, and look for any noticeable changes in fill or contents. If the soil inside of it differs from that outside of the feature, then that may lend credence to the "water control" device that has been suggested.

Need more data!

Excellent work, man! Now the people have a riddle to solve!

I was afraid to give it my own shovel test at the time of discovery for fear it might be a grave.

 

[SkyPirate]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

Here's another example of an identified still. It's a still.

This is hard to tell but from what I can see looks very similar to what I found. Would they make a still right next to a stream? Any advice on what may be found around it? Next time I head down that way I will try to get some better pictures. I detected around that area and found an array of things that were all junk iron. I did not dig right on the stone pile for fear it was a grave. I swung the detector over it but got no signals of metal.

 

[Tnmountains]

Re: Odd stone arrangement

I have seen many old stills and sometimes all that remains are the rock piles and a little evidence of glass and copper. Seems like your place is washing away and without metal detecting the site and digging some for charcoal you may never know what was there. I liked the idea of a test hole.
Good luck and nice drawings

 

[SkyPirate]

I will keep my eye out for some glass and copper fragments on my next trip.

 

[Ifoundit69]

How about a water chase for panning for gold ? I have also seen those foundation for water chases for ore mines as well .

 

[SkyPirate]

How about a water chase for panning for gold ? I have also seen those foundation for water chases for ore mines as well .

Unfortunately there has never been any gold found this far East in NC. I wish.

 

[creskol]

I am curious .. was there a house site close by? or an old barn?

 

[Breezie]

How about a water chase for panning for gold ? I have also seen those foundation for water chases for ore mines as well .

Unfortunately there has never been any gold found this far East in NC. I wish.

Sky, there has been gold discovered East of where we live in Franklin County; Gold Sand, Wood, Centerville, and in those areas. Here's a good site:
http://www.goldmaps.com/east/north_carolina_gold.htm