Indigenous Stone Serpent

In discovering evidence of the past, we often find things in the oddest of places. This is the situation with what appears to be a stone serpent created by Native Americans. As you walk this trail parallel to Bladen’s Brook, you actually walk between the head and the body of the serpent, as it seems that in later times the colonial people unknowingly cut through the “neck” of the serpent to create a wagon road for access to a nearby mill. The serpent (large stone head about 6 feet in length with approximately a 125-foot tail) faces south, perpendicular to the river, which is typical of ceremonial stonework of the indigenous culture throughout New England. The tail, which looks like a normal but low stone wall, runs up the hill, ending with a yellowish-white stone sitting on top. The tail stone is a mystery, but the rest matches the description of many Connecticut serpent effigies in the State. The straight body/tail, the uphill run, and the facing towards water are all in line with other known Native American works in the region. Note that there are no other “stone walls” in the area; therefore, it is an unlikely field divider.

More information and examples about these rare but fascinating pre-colonial constructions can be found in Markham Starr‘s book “Ceremonial Stonework”

The QR hiking trails project was funded by the Connecticut Recreational Trails Program with a grant from the State of Connecticut administered through the Department of Energy  and Environmental Protection