# What is this Rock Pit?



## Yellowshell (Dec 12, 2015)

I found what appears to be a bunch of rocks piled not in a typical field clearing pile but shaped into this sort of bowl or pit. I first thought maybe it lined a water hole for livestock but it's not wet and it's not in a low area. This is in East TN up on a Mountain. It's pretty remote. Any ideas from you folks with knowledge of the old ways?


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## Yellowshell (Dec 12, 2015)

Here's another view.


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## NCHillbilly (Dec 12, 2015)

May be the scattered remains of the foundation of an old structure from the looks of it. Buildings here in the mountains were often built on stacked rock pillars instead of solid foundations. Could have been an old root cellar.


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## Yellowshell (Dec 12, 2015)

Maybe so. There's a big creek down the ridge in the background of the first picture. I'd venture to say that white pine wasn't even a seedling when those rocks were put there.


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## Jeff C. (Dec 12, 2015)

Flipped it Yellowshell......


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## Yellowshell (Dec 13, 2015)

Thanks buddy.


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## ripplerider (Dec 14, 2015)

A couple of yrs. ago I found a circle of rocks about 3 ft. high and about 30 ft. across on top of a steep cone shaped mtn. ( really more of a knob) near Owltown gap in Union county. Was told later by someone with a lot of knowledge about the local mtns. that it was part of a chain of similar rock structures that were used as communications by the Cherokees via bonfires lit within. Dont  know how true this is, didnt notice any signs of fire within but I was hunting and didnt spend much time looking around. Does anyone know if the Cherokee communicated like this or passed messages around via fire and/or smoke? I plan on going back when my shoulder gets better and taking a better look.


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