WEED MIMA MOUND FIELD:
FINDING A SIGN:
Just north of Weed, California in the Shasta Valley at the Southbound Weed Rest Area there is a sign telling of the "The Mysterious Stone Circles".
The upper third of the sign contains an aerial photo of a segment of the Weed Mima Mounds Field. The aerial photo shows the unique aerial footprint created by "The Mysterious Stone Circles".
Beneath the photo is the following text:
"The pattern formed by the Stone Circles is easily seen in this aerial view of the southbound rest area. From the ground, however, the circles are less obvious."
The middle section contains text about the Mima Mounds and the Stone Circles as follows:
"The Shasta Valley, in which this rest area lies, appears to be randomly strewn with volcanic stones. Closer examination however, will reveal a consistent pattern of earthen mounds neatly encircled by a mosaic of stones. This strange configuration stretches over an area of 600 acres.
Each mound is alike, measuring about 60 feet in diameter and two feet high. The rocks appear to be set in a trench around the mounds, the largest stones, up to boulder size, occurring at the surface.
It was first thought that the 'Stone Circles' were the result of human agricultural activity. Anthropologists discounted this idea, since virtually no other artifacts have been found in the area and the Native Americans who lived here subsisted primarily on fishing and hunting.
Some of the current theories attribute the mounds to upheaving by frost, gopher activity, or erosion by wind and water.
The origin of the Stone Circles remains a mystery until today."
The bottom section contains a cross section drawing of a Mima Mound followed by this text:
"Cross Section of a Sone (Stone) Circle."
A stone filled trench encircles the mount (mound) of stone-free soil at the center of each circle.
SOME CLARIFICATION:
RANDOMLY STREWN STONES:
"The Shasta Valley, in which this rest area lies, appears to be randomly strewn with volcanic stones."
The Shasta Valley has many areas covered with volcanic stones and under close examination they do not appear to be random.
NON-RANDOMLY STREWN STONES:
"Closer examination however, will reveal a consistent pattern of earthen mounds neatly encircled by a mosaic of stones. This strange configuration stretches over an area of 600 acres."
The Weed Mima Mound Field and the "strange configuration" covers far more than 600 acres. From the rest area alone there are about 2,000 acres with the "strange configuration" that can be seen with with binoculars. Some of these decorations are stone lines.
NO SIGNS OF STONE CIRCLE BUILDERS:
"The origin of the Stone Circles remains a mystery until today."
Anthropologists state they could not find any signs of the builders of the Stone Circles. It appears There has only been two archelogical studies published for the Shasta Valley. The first is a study of an Indian dump site or midden. The second concerns a small road widening in the North Valley. That is it for the entire Shasta Valley.
In other words antropology has not studied the Shasta Valley and they show no inclination to do so.
LARGE STONES:
"The largest stones, up to boulder size, occurring at the surface."
AERIAL FOOTPRINT:
"The stone decorations leave a distinctive footprint when viewed from above but are more difficult to see from ground level."
The stone decorations do leave a distinctive and unique footprint that can be clearly seen in photos and Google Earth.
