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Native
American Stone Constructions
Supporting the
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Recognition
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Preservation and
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Study
of the priceless and vanishing architectural legacy of
our predecessors. From the Canadian Maritimes to
California, North America hosts a vast array of ancient
Native American stone constructions. The subject
of Native stonework is often neglected and poorly
appreciated. Use this site as an online resource
to foster a greater appreciation and understanding of
Native stonework across the breadth of North American, a
field of inquiry only in its infancy. Only by
comparing stone constructions from across a broad region
are similarities, traditions and regional differences
revealed.
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While our focus is primarily on Native
stonework in the Northeast, these constructions can not be
understood in isolation from examples found elsewhere
throughout the continent. This site was founded to
mark the 350th anniversary of the first known
European record of Native American stonework and the
400th anniversary of Bacon's description of the
essential problem in studying man's past, (quoted at upper
right, above). On November 30,
1654, John Pynchon, founder of Springfield
Massachusetts, wrote John Winthrop Jr., the man who
would become Connecticut's first governor and America's
first scientist:
"Sir I heare a report
of a stonewall and strong fort in it, made all of Stone,
which is newly discovered at or neere Pequot [New
London, CT] , I should be glad to know the truth of it
fro your selfe, here being many strange reports about it."
This subject is an ongoing area of
inquiry. The recognition of the existence of Native
stonework increases each year. Simultaneously, more
and more is destroyed each year. Before these
creations can be protected for future generations to enjoy,
they first must gain wider recognition among the public.
Please use this site as a resource to gain insight and join
in the effort to create public and private solutions to
insure their survival.
NativeStones.com
is primarily a descriptive collection of
Indian stone constructions. Little effort is made to
analyze the meaning underlying these
creations. This is for two reasons:
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This area of inquiry is primarily
archaeological in nature, hence any interpretations of
the stone record are necessarily speculative; and
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doing so would vastly expand the size
of this site, venturing into areas outside the primary
focus. The focus is documenting the vast
collection of Native stonework blanketing the continent.
These constructions are vanishing rapidly
as a result of development pressures combined with ignorance
of their existence. Much has been obliterated, and
much of what survives is threatened with destruction.
Before this heritage from our predecessors can be thoroughly
researched, it first must be identified and protected.
| This they tell, |
| and whether it happened |
| so or not I do not know; |
| but if you think about it, |
| you can
see that it is true. |
-- Black Elk
This site will be continuously under construction. Stop
back often for new material. If you would like to
contribute new information or photographs, please
CONTACT US. Submission of photos
is assumed to allow posting, unless otherwise directed.
Credit will be given for all submitted photos used. If
a link is not yet active, stop back in the future.
As pages are created, they will be listed in the
Site Map.
Most
of the stone constructions and sites depicted here are fragile,
and vandalism and excessive visitation traffic will lead to
their destruction. For this reason, no site location
information will be provided.
Do not ask, because the
answer will always remain the same.
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Copyright 2006,
NativeStones.com.
All rights reserved. All original materials on this site are protected
by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed,
transmitted, displayed or published without prior written permission.
You may not alter or remove any copyright notice from copies of the
content. You may download material from this site only for your
personal, noncommercial use.
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