Strange Rocks At Lance Creek Georgia

[cneill13]

Has anyone ever noticed the strange grouping of rocks near the Lance Creek campground on the Georgia AT? This area is about 3 miles north of Woody Gap.

I camped there two weeks ago and noticed these rocks that cannot possibly be arranged by a natural occurrence. They are stuck in the ground in no discernible pattern and look a bit like tombstones. The stones are all differently shaped with no carvings or writing on them that I can see.

The stones are located in an area that you can see from the AT. But they are behind a roped off area where people are no longer allowed to walk so you can't really get a good look at them up close.

There has to be some story behind these rocks.

Also, when you exit the campground at Lance creek, if you keep going straight instead of turning right or left on the AT, it will run into an old logging road. I walked up this road picking up firewood and was very surprised when I reached the crest of the hill about 1/4 mile from the campground. On the other side of the hill I saw a house. And right by the house was a pond. I could be wrong but it looks like Lance creek was dammed to make this pond. And if I am correct, the overflow from the pond is what makes Lance creek meaning the water I was drinking out of the creek came from the pond. I hope I am wrong.

Other than that, Lance creek is a nice little campground with 3 or maybe 4 tent sites. I unfortunately hung my hammock by a tent platform and a late arriver pitched his tent right by my hammock and then proceeded to snore all night long. I will never let that happen to me again.

Carl

[Bronk]

I've seen quite a few old cemeteries that look just like that. Sometimes they progress from just rocks to rocks that have hand scratched names and dates to rocks with professionally carved names to modern tombstones. But I've seen cemeteries that look just like what is in your photo and if there weren't a sign of some kind denoting the cemetery most people wouldn't know that's what it was.

[Captain Blue]

The rocks look like they were put there by a trail maintainer to discourage camping.

[Pedaling Fool]

The rocks look like they were put there by a trail maintainer to discourage camping.

Then he didn't do a very good job; looks like a great place to camp

[cneill13]

I didn't think about the trail maintainer thesis for the stones to prevent camping. That would make sense. Although that would have been one hell of a tough job for someone to do.

As for the stones being old tombstones, possibly. But some were blocks, some were triangles and none were placed in any type of alignment. I don't think it is an abandoned graveyard.

[Odd Man Out]

I didn't think about the trail maintainer thesis for the stones to prevent camping. That would make sense. Although that would have been one hell of a tough job for someone to do.

As for the stones being old tombstones, possibly. But some were blocks, some were triangles and none were placed in any type of alignment. I don't think it is an abandoned graveyard.

Come old Quaker cemeteries have tombs marked with uncut and unmarked field stones - part of their religious tradition to no call attention or elevate themselves above others. However the ones I've seen did have rows. Lots of Quakers were in NC. Not sure about GA.

[gpburdelljr]

I saw an old cemetery in the Cooper Creek WMA (not on AT) with stones very much like those pictured. The only reason I knew it was a cemetery is because a much later granite stone was put in labeling it as a cemetery, with a short list of names.

[Alleghanian Orogeny]

I beat the bushes in NC, VA, SC, GA, AL, and TN for about 6 years while working on the exploration side of the mining business. The only feature we ran across nearly as often as old homesites were small cemetery plots. The picture looks to be a dead ringer for a cemetery plot to this old explorationist. If there are any slight, elongated depressions in the soil, and particularly if there is any ground cover running plant such as periwinkle, that seals the deal. The fact that it is at present roped off supports that it's a cemetary plot, as well.

In some communities, a graveyard was established for indigent or unknown people, and these plots are often called potter's fields, especially in the South. The term stems from biblical times, when land used for extraction of clay for use by potters was used as such because it had no value for agricultural purposes. Such plots were thus used for the mining of clay and for burial sites for paupers, indigents, or unknowns. Potter's fields typically have only primitive headstones, if any at all.

AO

[illabelle]

I'm no expert, but those look like a cemetery to me.

Several weeks ago I started a thread about bushwhacking in the Smokies. One of these days I need to report back about our trip. In the meantime, here's a mini-report.

Below are two photos of a small family cemetery we visited. There were apparently 4, perhaps 5 graves, one being a child or other small person. Our guide carried dowsing rods and used them to confirm the ends of each plot, though they were marked by stones. Later in the same trip, he used them to find 5 graves that were only partially marked. Do they work? How do they work? I don't know.

First photo is my daughter standing at one grave, a foot at one stone, her pole at the other. Second one is my son-in-law on the ground attempting to read something that was scratched into the face of a thin stone in the cemetery. According to the best information we have found, this cemetery is on a small wooded hill just above the old homesite of his great-great-great grandfather.

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[Mockernut]

Lance Creek has dedicated tent pads. I believe that these stones were placed in an overused tenting area to discourage use and reduce siltation in the creek when the area was upgraded to a more formalized camping area. My understanding only.

[Dogwood]

ALIENS?

Lance Creek has dedicated tent pads. I believe that these stones were placed in an overused tenting area to discourage use and reduce siltation in the creek when the area was upgraded to a more formalized camping area. My understanding only.

I think that is the reason. I've inquired about similar situations myself. I was told by locals it was to discourage camping in areas.

[Captain Blue]

If these stones are next to a creek then it's probably not a cemetery. You don't see many cemeteries on a bank of a creek. Usually just the opposite. The bank of a creek is a popular spot for people to camp though.

[Spacelord]

I'm no expert, but those look like a cemetery to me.

Several weeks ago I started a thread about bushwhacking in the Smokies. One of these days I need to report back about our trip. In the meantime, here's a mini-report.

Below are two photos of a small family cemetery we visited. There were apparently 4, perhaps 5 graves, one being a child or other small person. Our guide carried dowsing rods and used them to confirm the ends of each plot, though they were marked by stones. Later in the same trip, he used them to find 5 graves that were only partially marked. Do they work? How do they work? I don't know.

First photo is my daughter standing at one grave, a foot at one stone, her pole at the other. Second one is my son-in-law on the ground attempting to read something that was scratched into the face of a thin stone in the cemetery. According to the best information we have found, this cemetery is on a small wooded hill just above the old homesite of his great-great-great grandfather.

IMG_2256.jpg

IMG_2255.jpg

I'll buy into the thought that you may have found some graves... But dowsing rods have to be on step below Ouija boards on the list of tools I trust.

Sent from my LG-V495 using Tapatalk

[canoe]

I'll buy into the thought that you may have found some graves... But dowsing rods have to be on step below Ouija boards on the list of tools I trust.

Sent from my LG-V495 using Tapatalk

Well you might want to get familiar with the tool. Don't know how they work but they do work. I was like you until I was shown and taught how to us the tool. The rods do work.

[Spacelord]

These are just as reliable as dowsing rods
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[illabelle]

I'll buy into the thought that you may have found some graves... But dowsing rods have to be on step below Ouija boards on the list of tools I trust.

Well you might want to get familiar with the tool. Don't know how they work but they do work. I was like you until I was shown and taught how to us the tool. The rods do work.

I also am skeptical of the dowsing rods, simply because I've never heard a plausible explanation for how they work. In this case, our guide, Mike, had been to the cemetery previously, and was relying on GPS information given him by someone else, Pete, who had explored the area with a descendant back in the 70's. The descendant had knowledge of the cemetery passed down to him. I have to admit it was a little eerie to see the rods turn over the graves with no action on the part of the guy holding them.

A bit less believable was a second cemetery that our guide had not been able to find on a previous trip. He had GPS coordinates for it, and notes from Pete, who had done extensive work cataloging and documenting remnants of human habitation with the GSMNP, so he knew where to look. But these were not so clearly marked, and like the stones in the OP's photos, they were beside a stream. Still, the rods did turn here just like they did at the first cemetery. The side-by-side layout strongly suggested human involvement.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Looks like a lazy attempt at mimicking the PA section of the AT. They'll need to fill in all the gaps with more pointy rocks to get it right.

[Pedaling Fool]

I also am skeptical of the dowsing rods, simply because I've never heard a plausible explanation for how they work.

The rods don't do anything, IMHO, it's just a tool that people feel comfortable using (for whatever reason...). The real tool that is working is the consciousness. Some people think they need a rod, others just stick their hands in the air and feel for the energy, but it's the consciousness that really does the work. That's the mystery, not rods and such.

[Starchild]

I also am skeptical of the dowsing rods, simply because I've never heard a plausible explanation for how they work. ....

I have use them and they do mysteriously work very well. How that happens I have several explanations for but the following is the easiest for many people to understand:

Our sub-conscience perceives things that we don't in our conscience mind. Dowsing is a way to get the put the conscience mind off the the side and let our sub-conscience mind take primary control. The dowsing tool (no matter what it is) is the physical signaling device to our conscience mind that our sub-conscience mind has picked up on something. The idea is we do give off cues based on our sub-conscience, that can effect what we physically do, the dousing rod (or again whatever) is the notifier.

Now how we interpreter the meaning of what the dowsing device is doing is a learning process, to help us understand what our sub-conscience mind is perceiving. As we practice it more we get better understanding of what those signals mean and where to go and look. Or sub-conscience itself may also be learning better how to communicate what it wants to IDK.

Not that this is the only definition, as we can go into electromagnetic energy vibrations and the like, or ghosts or a angel pulling it, but the above potential explanation is one I know of that can help make sense of how it may work using what we do know.

But with that said, there are times that it moves so dramatically and consistently over an area that the alien with a personal cloaking device using a tractor beam seems like the only logical answer. So the only way to really find out if it works is simply try it for yourself, not try to understand why, for your understanding as to how something works does not change if it works.

Hope this helps.

[illabelle]

Looks like a lazy attempt at mimicking the PA section of the AT. They'll need to fill in all the gaps with more pointy rocks to get it right.

Ain't that the truth!