Can ancient trails be identified and dated to first culture period?

[awassamog]

Is an ancient trail an artifact and/or archeological feature? I think of them that way. From time to time I'll Google hoping to find more details or better map on the ancient trails in place when the colonists arrived. Anyone else ever look into this? I'd like to hear.

For those of you in PA, I see lots of good trails info, much more detailed than I've ever seen for mass. Attached is a map I saw for the first time today, shows major trails in the Great lakes region, one of which ends/begins in boston.

I know the major trails here, there was one major east to west trail (Mohawk trail). And there were three northeast to southwest trails. These were used by the first English to punch into the "wilderness" from Boston area to survey land, begin trading and improve/widen the trails. These became the first post roads that carried mail, goods and people between Mass Bay colony, Providence, Hartford and Manhattan. These ancient trails were described by the English as being single track, one man wide. They are now paved roads, such as US Route 1A.

For the remaining trails not yet paved or obliterated, I wonder if dating them is possible thru analysis of compaction and stratification, certainly artifacts must've ended up buried in the trails themselves. How many ancient trails are out there, unpaved? Do you think you can identify an ancient trail? I'll bet some of the cart roads shown on early usgs maps are. Your thoughts?












This is one of three ancient trails used by English in early 1600's. Called the old connecticut path, connects boston and hartford. Parts of this trail remain. This pic shows trail crossing in Ashford CT

[CMD]

Looks like some of your images failed to load. Sound interesting, and hope you can get them up.

The following image is taken from the book seen below. It's not great quality, and I don't know if the trail itself still exists. I do know of some old, still unpaved, trails, but none that are actually old enough to be Native trails. Biscuit Hill Road, for example, in Coventry, RI, in the Audobon Society's George Parker Woodland, is the original road used by French troops on their march from Newport, RI to Yorktown, Va. in 1783. It is in original condition.




Here is a generalized map of Indian trails and village locations in 17th Century southern New England:



When I was in high school, back in the early to mid 60's, my school bus stop was on a branch of Post Road, and was the location of a native trail. There was a plant nursery right on the road. I found this piece in the dirt at the edge of the nursery property. But I would hesitate to say there was a trail there when this piece was made. I have no way of knowing that, just the closest I could come to a "maybe".

[-=METACOM=-]

Nice one!

[awassamog]

Nice point and a good book
Strange, I can see the images...

[CMD]

They were missing for me last night. I can see them now, and obviously I would not have posted the trail map had I known you had posted the same thing.

[G10+]

I bet Bruce would love to swing a coil down one of those trails !! That awesome stuff guys thanks

[2ndoldman]

You know me all too well Everett.

[-=METACOM=-]

I'm interested in this as well. I bet the amount of existing trails that are actually ancient trails would be surprising. The Robbin's museum had something called paths of the past or something like that. I believe it shows locations of five or six trails of historical significance. Last time I tried to order it they were out of it.

There is a story from King Philip's war about the indians fleeing the english on the "mowry path". Parts of that path still exist in trail form in the Freetown State Forest, though most of it has been paved over or destroyed entirely. I have walked stretches of it, and I always get a feeling of fascination as I pass through thinking about the past.

I hope you get those pics up.

[Scorpion68]

awass, only two of your original posts did not show. The viewer (not the originator) only sees the two icons for broken links.

[JoshinMO]

When I first seen The Title I thought Ancient Trail's? Thought's of Development,Road's and just time must have claimed them all, but even if some not all I am convinced. Now I remember an old Book I was looking at with "Historic" Native American Trail's out here. Good Topic!

[gregszybala]

There are many trails around here that are now roads and highways. US 12 from Detroit through Chicago and parts of US 6 which originates on the East coast.
Don't see how you could date a trail outside of studying habitation or burial sites along those trails to see if there is any correlation. Wouldn't be surprised to find they were used for possibly thousands of years.

[chase]

The path of least resistance. I would say this "as" trails go has many layers for different uses. You have trade routes which follow the by-ways of the water shed. You have migratory routes which follow the game as well as climate conditions. There would be trails that connected groups of similar culture. In the west there trails that cross the divide, they take the path of least resistance which are the passes or the low point in the rocky mountains. Game trails are one of my favorites, animals will use the easiest way up or down hills and when I come across them I will use them. Much the same that those that came before me. I have seen trails that follow dry washes that tend to hide travelers from detection or hunters from game. other trails are entrenched into the landscape with ruts ten feet deep. Other trails tend to be was from a camp in the hills to lower laying ground. Roads of modern use also use this as to geographic features dictate how we move around the country. Okay that is my 2 cents worth.

[awassamog]

Hello, I re uploaded pic 1&2. Are they showing?

[CMD]

Yep!

[Ron Kelley]

Yes the pictures are showing. In the U.P. Elk migrated long distances every winter because of the deep snow. They left deep game trails which would be obvious ambush sites.

[Arti Facter]

Ron- US2 follows a major east-west trail thru the UP. M35 follows a north-south trail that led from Gladstone on Lake Michigan to the summer blueberry picking areas near Lake Superior.

[Ron Kelley]

Hey Arti, I have picked my share of those huckleberries. Picked 45 quarts one weekend. We ran the Plott Hounds on bear who were attracted to the huckleberries too.

[CMD]

Interesting link here....

http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/six-indian-trails-turned-scenic-highways-byways/

[Havenhunter]

There's a paved road near my property called Indian Road, which was once a Colonial post road, a NA trail & likely a game trail before that. It follows the rise & fall of the land, avoiding the pocosins and skirting fresh water springs.
Several tertiary roads branch off it with obvious names-- Tomahawk, Mohawk, Chickasaw, Pohatan-- chosen at much later dates by unimaginative developers.

[awassamog]

That links to a very good article, thanks

[BabaORiley]

Hey Awass. I just saw your post. Very interesting. I am especially interested in the map that shows trail #8. It runs right through my area of Illinois. I have long heard of these routes but have never seen any documentation of general areas. If you have any info on that route please send it.