For those of you who get out on our properties, there is more to see that initially meets the eye. There are remnants of Native American life as well as hidden examples of colonial presence. For example, see the photos of 3 propped boulders taken at the upper portion of the Mullane Trail in our Proposal/Coney Rock Preserve.
These are at high elevation and face East. Two are close together, the other farther along the trail towards the outlook. One has to take a second look to realize that these are not naturally positioned and that they are wedged up by rocks placed underneath. When Googling “propped rocks”, up come photos of boulders looking exactly like the Mullane ones. The jury is still out on their origin and purpose but the consensus is that they are native American, ceremonial, and seem to be most abundant in the North-East.
My local native American source tells me that these look like morning prayer stations since they face East, but who knows, that culture has been lost. No matter what they were intended for, they required a lot of work to put them in place and are stick out in the landscape. It’s always good to be on the lookout for things that look “funny” or different while walking in the woods, plus it gives more interest and purpose to walks. More another time on other “stuff” in our woods.
~ Hill Bullard