Sorry about leaving you hanging with the last three pictures that I posted. Didn't mean to, but "stuff", as they say, happens. So, now I'll tell you what that was all about.
Some of you who have been reading this blog for awhile may remember that on my last birthday, I went zip lining. This year, I decided on a more tame adventure. I went to visit a place that bills itself as America's Stonehenge. This is a tourist attraction left over from the early part of the last century and, as was typical of the time, it was romanticized and overstated. I knew that before going, but I had wanted to visit for a long time, and figured it would be a good place to take pictures.
It was a beautiful morning to be out exploring the New England woods, and "Stonehenge" did not disappoint. Here are some more pictures.
The picture below shows a crew filming a "debunking" video. It was fun to watch the goings on, and listen to what they had to say.
You can walk into some of the tunnels and caves. I get a bit claustrophobic, and these are very small spaces. And I hate spiders. I know they are good. It's a visceral reaction. Can't help it. I went in to explore anyway. It's amazing how cool it stays in these spaces, even though they are very close to the surface of the ground.
Now, I am not an archaeologist. But over the years I have done a lot of reading about archeology, history, and geology. My conclusions? I think this started out as a natural geological formation. Maybe it was a tor-type thing or an area of karst topography, or a combination. Then humans came along. First the Native Americans, then European settlers. I think people took advantage of the natural formations for shelter, and possibly for food storage. Over the years, they would alter the structures to suit their needs. The next group to come along would then rearrange things.
The stones are much, much smaller than the real Stonehenge, so would be more easily moved. The film crew was talking about the fact that no trash deposits have been found, but this is a very disturbed area. Farmers, and early "treasure hunters" might have destroyed or removed such areas, not realizing their value. Also, much is made by the owners of the fact that so many of the openings face the same way. They attribute this to (possibly) religious reasons. It seems more likely to me that openings were arranged to face away from the prevailing winter weather. And, the "doorways" are low enough to shelter the spaces from the summer sun. One of those traditional bits of building knowledge that has mostly been forgotten in these days of central heating and air conditioning!
Having said all that, this really is a great place to take pictures. And it certainly is much more romantic to imagine some larger purpose, some mysterious ancient civilization. What would you like to believe?
The trails through the site end near several alpaca that the owners have on-site, with wool and fleece for sale. They are such goofy-looking creatures! And so, we have reached The End.
Have a great weekend!
