A New Look At Old Vermont Stonework
Investigating A Possible Ceremonial Stone Landscape In Southeastern Vermont
--
Vermont is larger than some realize — takes at least three hours to drive it’s length. Took me almost three hours on the Autumnal Equinox to travel from my home in Northwestern Vermont down to a new-to-me stone site in the Southeastern part of the state.
Back in July, the landholder posted photos of the stone features they’d found on their property in my Ancient Stone Mysteries of New England Facebook Group, looking for help in figuring out what they were. From his photos and video, they looked to me like elements of an Indigenous Ceremonial Stone Landscape, the stonework similar to that I’d seen elsewhere, such as Lewis Hollow on Overlook Mountain in Woodstock, New York. We had a long discussion about the stonework, and what they might be finding on their land.
This possible Ceremonial Stone Landscape was discovered on a ridge near Interstate 91 and the Connecticut River. Possible Indigenous Stone Assemblages (similar to European cairns in appearance) were found at the site, as well as Serpentine Stone Rows (likely Serpent Effigy Rows), and even an apparent Equinox-oriented Standing Stone.
I’d hoped to see the stonework for myself, and the landholder invited me to visit. But the Vermont summer turned hot August through September, pushing my trip back until the end of the season, the First Day of Fall.
The day had a stormy start, but after the wait, I wasn’t letting a little rain stop me. The forecast predicted clearing sky after noontime and I headed south hoping for the best. But the rain continued as I arrived at the site.
My hosts were kind enough to greet me with hot coffee… and a raincoat I could borrow. After taking a look at their property plot and talking a little about Stone Prayers and Ceremonial Stone Landscapes, we headed out in the dwindling rain to begin our tour of some of the stone features found on their land.
