Stones and Cairns

Early native inhabitants here, historians and anthropologists agree, lived in the Housatonic River valley seasonally. See Kampoosa Bog essay. As I recall, that essay is only about one Late Archaic (ca. 4,000 year old) site. It depends on how you define “seasonally. According to the 18th century Moravian documents, the local tribes had a winter and summer village within the Housatonic Valley, with many smaller camps about them. Those sites could all be considered seasonal, with people moving back and forth. Yet the people remained in the Housatonic Valley year‐round. If you are implying that the Native Americans left the Housatonic for the Hudson Valley, I totally disagree. There are dozens of known sites in the Housatonic Valley in MA and northern CT (as shown by the state archaeological site files), and probably hundreds that are unknown. They suggest year‐round residency in the area, particularly in the last 1500 years. — Lucianne Lavin

Archaeological research attests they lived in wigwams; a small‐scale dig in the VanDeusenville section of Great Barrington directed by David “Bear Paws” Parrett, a Mohawk, found evidence in a corn field of post molds and fire pits, also bits of chalcedony and flint — signs of projectile point making. Volunteers from Berkshire Archaeological Group helped with the did, as did visiting Stockbridge‐Munsee.

Arrowheads have turned up in many fields; removal by collectors, however, has eliminated any ability to discern, for example, any patterns to the type of stones or styles used — was stone traded among tribes, for example. Frank C. Bonney of Pittsfield, for example, assembled a collection of 500 artifacts over two decades from the shores of Onota and Pontoosuc lakes in Pitsfield, Goodrich Pond, Lake Mahkeenac and Ashmere Lake — including a stone pendant.

A 40‐foot‐high truncated pyramid on the west side of the Housatonic River in Great Barrington (on private property) is either a construction by native people, or a glacial drumlin. A lower, perhaps 8‐foot, earthen pyramid is visible in central Sheffield.

William E. Curtiss, who lived near Great Barrington, in 1907 claimed an old stone mill on his property “was doubtless used by Indians for grinding corn,” the Boston Daily Globe said. “The mill consists of a concavity or bowl cut in a sandstone bowlder. Originally there was a stone pestle found with the mill.” This is a mortar stone made in a glacial erratic – a common indigenous tool for separating nut meats from their shells, and should not be confused with a Euro‐American mill structure. — Lucianne Lavin

Dr. David P. McAllester of Monterey said there are stone chambers — usually underground, likely of Native American origin, used as sweat houses — in Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Least Lee, Richmond and Washington. That is just one supposition for the use of these controversial underground chambers. Others include ceremonial structures for indigenous ritual and root cellars. — Lucianne Lavin

More certainly ascribed to early native settlers, however, are cairns scattered throughout the Heritage Area. Missionary John Sergeant described one in 1735 at the base of Monument Mountain; see that essay. Columnist George Emmons is aware of small cairns in Monterey and in the vicinity of Beartown. Others, either of Native American or Yankee farmer origin, are found on June Mountain in Sheffield. Stone piles 3 and 4 feet high are found in Cookson State Forest in Southfield. Confident they are of Indian origin, Lion G. Miles said small stones at the tops of the cairns are prayer stones. Stones wedged into V‐crevices are meant to block evil spirits from rising into this world.

An alternate view is some flat‐topped stone piles were made by farmers to keep stacks of hay dry.

— Bernard A. Drew

SOURCES

  •   Abbott, Kate, “Tracing the Mohicans in Berkshire County, beginning in Stockbridge,” Advocate, 28 August 2002.

  •   “Berkshire Hoards of Indian Relics of Much Interest,” Berkshire Eagle, 29 July 1922.

  •   Bruun, Erik, “Archaeologists dig up clues to Berkshires’ prehistoric past,” Advocate, 24 June 1992.

  •   Butler, Mary Grace, “Dig at old Indian site gets $2,500 GE grant,” Berkshire Eagle, 30 August 1992.

  •   Drew, Bernard A., “Flakes of Flint Help Reveal Residents of 3,700 Years Ago,” Berkshire Courier, 8 October 1992.

  •   Emmons, George, “The Stone Cairns: Monterey to Monument Mountain,” Monterey News, November 1999.

  •   Fay, Stephen, “Indian archaeologist toils patiently to record the county’s native culture,”Berkshire Eagle, 27 August 1989.

  •   Johnson, Eric S., Discovering the Ancient Past at Kampoosa Bog, Stockbridge,Massachusetts. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Archaeological Services, 1996.

  •   McAllester, David P., “The New England ‘Hott House,’ Monterey News, October 1983.

  •   Miles, Lion G., “The Mystery of the Monument Mountain Stone Heap,” Rock Piles blog,

    17 January 2008.

  •   Moore, Steve, “Ancient Indian village found; Mohawk Indian heads team at South Berkshire dig,” Berkshire Eagle, 4 August 1991.

  •   “Mysteries Remain: Separating Fact From Speculation About Indian Cairns and Mounds,” New Marlborough 5 Village News, July 2011.

  •   “Odd Items From Everywhere,” Boston Daily Globe, 6 April 1907.

  •   Pratt, Abby, “3,500‐year‐old Indian campsite found in county,” Berkshire Eagle, 26 November 1990.

  •   Stevens, Lauren R., “Artifacts from early humans found at site in south county,” Advocate, 21 July 1993.

  •   Stevens, Lauren R., “Uncovering history; Major dig in south county unearths 25,000 artifacts,” Advocate, 12 January 1994.

  •   Stevens, Lauren R., “Unearthing our history; Archaeologist discloses details of major Berkshire dig to standing‐room‐only crowd in south county,” Advocate, 30 March 1994.

  •   Taylor, Holly A., “Bypass survey unearths prehistoric Indian sites,” Berkshire Eagle, 10 December 1986.