Gungywamp (CT.) Pt 4- "Double Circle of Stones" + More.. Final.

Gungywamp (CT.) Pt 4- "Double Circle of Stones" + More.. Final.

Located next to a ledge.  The full purpose of this structure is unknown.  Scrolling a little more than half-way down the page stonestructures.org has good info on this structure here- http://www.stonestructures.org/html/gungywamp.html under "Double Circle of Stones."  Their research concludes there was significance with the sun (in the sky) relating to ceremony and this stone-work.  The interpretation may be correct, it is a good attempt at an interpretation that clicks.  At the Gungywamp site there is a colonial house foundation, although it was only inhabited for a few years in the 1720's.  There is no colonial or later water well or barn on site indicating the area was never farmed, and how could it be, the whole area is a bunch of ledges.  Alot of Euro-American/ modern American habitations, towns, etc. from colonial times onward have always infringed on Native American ceremonial and habitation lands.  The fact alone that this structure is located on a ledge and that there was never any farming here should immdeiately rule this structure out as colonial in origin.  We see from the picture that someone recently used this structure as a fire-pit (which may or may not have been it's original purpose, my impression was it functioned more as a "calander" related to the sun/ and or other celestial events, although ceremony involving fire could have been part of this same function.)- 

There are also no metal tool markings anywhere on the stones that make up this stone structure.  Also bear in mind that charcoal dating from charcoal found embedded in the stones (so there we go- fires were lit here) reveals a usage date going all the way back around the time of 1500 BP (Before Present, formerly referred to as BC).  Pre-colonial Native artifacts were also found within or by the stone circle (quartz projectile points, etc.)- 

By comparison here is a smaller stone ring in the College Rock and Beaver Brook Woods (MA. by Echo Lake) that bears at least some resemblence/ craftsmanship to the "Double Circle of Stones" found at Gungywamp.  This stone ring in the College Rock woods is in relation to stone mounds and cairns of Native origin.  Again, no tool markings-

Back to Gungywamp.  This is the other side of the ledge that had the profile face worked into it.  This angle reveals the face also, but with a different expression/ features.  Note the headdress in both pictures.  (the other pic was from Pt 1 of the Gungywamp posts.)-

This is Chamber #3 at Gungywamp.  The roof slabs have been collpsed/ mis-placed.  Note how it is worked into a boulder.  View A-

B- Note the spiral entrance into the structure-

C- Looks like one of the roof slabs lying on the ground in the left foreground of the pic-

This is it so far for my series of posts on Gungywamp.  Although I would like to sometime do a comparison between NorthEast "Chambers" and things like Navaho hogans, Mandan lodges, and Mississippian earth mounds with chamber-like entrances.  Chamber #2 from Gungywamp (features in the last post yesterday) seems to be a good comparison to some of the Native structures from other regions such as a Mandan lodge.