ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONFIRMATIONS

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our Archaeologist and dear friend Jack Hranicky.

We met Jack (when he was 69 years old, in 2010) through a referral from the Virginia State archaeology office, after finding rocks lying in circles on our property. The representative said, if anyone would know, Jack would know if these circles were Native American or Paleo Indian influenced.

Before showing Jack this site, we talked on the phone. He listed several characteristics that he needed in order to confirm this site. 

To prove his point, we took many photographs. Our first Summer Solstice was on June 21, 2011. During the 2012 Fall Equinox, this photo went viral.

On Aug. 23, 2011 Jack helped us break ground for the first excavation into the concentric rings. He picked a five-foot-square area to dig, carefully numbering every rock and setting it aside, to be replaced later. 

Upon breaking ground, we experienced a 5.8 earthquake for 10-20 seconds. We often wondered if we awoke the Spirits that day. As it turned out, the Earth Quaked, and Jake was in our life to stay.

By October 2011, Jack had enough facts to announce Spout Run as the oldest extant above ground site in North America. “Although archaeological sites have been discovered across the United States, there’s nothing like this above ground or this old in North America,” Jack said in his interview with the Clarke County news paper that broke the story. This was the papers biggest story in its history with 8,004 views.

Jack then interviewed with the Winchester Star, turning out their biggest story for that year also. Associated Press and Native Times also picked up the story.

Jack had many interviews and said, “I had to wait 70 years to find a site like this.” 

During our first year with Jack, we spent the summer solstice (June), fall equinox (around Sept. 22-23)  and winter solstice (Dec. 21-22) climbing over rocks and measuring lines of site using solar alignments.

We spent countless hours with Jack looking at "little bitty tools" while he enjoyed a hot cup of decaf and an occasional piece of pecan pie.

By December 2011, our Spout Run Paleo Indian site received an official site number (44CK151) from the Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources (DHR) adding it to the state’s inventory of archaeological sites.

In February 2012, Jack and Chris found rockart or petroglyphs. In April 2012, Jack was thrilled to have his first article about Spout Run Paleo Indian site in the Central States Archaeological Journal Vol 59 April 2012 No. 2 (Page 86).

Jack loved taking about archaeology and giving a voice to the people and artifacts from these sacred sites that dotted the tri-state region. 

​By March 2014, a jasper scrapper tool (that Chris discovered during the excavation) that Jack sent off to University of Washington, came back Thermoluminescence (TL) dated for 10,470 years last used. This launched a series of events. 

The next month (April 2014), Jack released his first abstract about Spout Run. NBC News interviewed and aired the program on May 15, 2014 partnered with the Winchester Star newspaper. They both used a new massive and strong story titled, local site twice as old as Stonehenge.

Then came Jack's PBS feature.

Local authors like Michael Dowling supported Jack's work and findings with numerous articles. 

Before we knew it, we celebrated our 4th year anniversary with Jack, visiting his favorite Pine Grove restaurant for his usual decaf and local special. Jack's  relentless contributions changed the landscape of our community’s history and our family’s lives.

Stories about Jack reached around the globe and were translated into various languages. 

SPIRITUAL CONFIRMATIONS

By July 2014, something Jack did not know, was that in addition to a large archaeology following,  spiritual leaders studying ancient "solar observatories" followed his work. 

"The profound mystery of the advanced unified purpose of these ancient stone circle temples and ancient monument alignments is now coming to light through the research at hundreds of such sites worldwide," said Alex Putney with Human Resonance.org.  ​

 "Ancient sacred sites are calling attuned healers into resonance, and we are responding to the call," Human Resonance added in an analysis in the Winchester Star article about Jack's work. "These concentric stone circles represent the prime force of infrasound, the deep and all-penetrating universal 'Om' that is associated with the Creational essence and is concentrated by these standing stone monuments due to their geometric relationship with the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt."

Using Jack's findings and coordinates, Human Resonance reported that Spout Run is "5,852 miles from Giza, or 23.5% of the Earth's mean circumference distance (of 24,892 miles). This sacred resonant distance is aligned with converging infrasound standing waves in a pattern shared by all such monuments and all other sacred temples and pyramids worldwide - with the giant Stonehenge monument sitting precisely at the 9.0% distance, while Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth sit exactly along the resonant 10.0% distance."

When we met Jack, we did not tell him that we were a Native American Church. Nor did we tell Jack that the reason Chris found the circles in the first place, was because he was searching for a place to give thanks and create a stone medicine wheel. 

Imagine our surprise when Jack told us that this site was where he believed "an Indian 'priest' would find it an advantage to know when summer offered the best work climate, marked by the summer solstice, and when the season was drawing to a close and cold weather was on the way (the fall equinox).

He said, such times would be natural days for social celebrations of some type, he added. “They visited this place for a reason, like going to church.”

Jack did not know we were gifted our Native American Church and trademarked this place Sanctuary on the Trail, prior to finding the stone circles and meeting him. 

From working with Jack, our spiritual journey has become more complete. We have asked ourselves questions that we may not have asked. 

Does an "Outside Force" exist? Is there a thing such as a "Spiritual Draw?" Where does "Faith" come from? What do you really believe and have faith towards? These things are of a spiritual nature," explained Chris in a series of videos we posted about the Paleo-Indian site.

Jack's influence in our lives led to partnerships and events that would not have happened otherwise with: Bears Den, Clermont Farm, Bluemont Citizens Association, State Arboretum of Virginia at Blandy, Barns of Rose Hill, Bluemont Community Center, Shenandoah University Mesoamerica students,George Mason University, Boy/Girl Scouts of America, elders of the American Indian Movement, National Museum of the Native American Indian, Lumbee Tribe and the Virginia Governor to name a few. Events included The Gathering 2015 & 2017 and Indian Village 2016-2018. 

​All of this lead to President Obama recognizing Chris and Rene' with the President's Call to Service Award for more than 8,000 hours of volunteer service. Our accomplishments are a result of Jack's influence.

As we collectively move toward a higher resonance, our growing awareness brings us together in alignment at convergence points. Ancient sacred sites, we believe Jack was called to record, help awake these sites for today's healers to do good work.

In the Bible, Isaiah 61:4 says, "They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations."

Jack gave voice to a people long passed and created space in our present to pause and remember the Paleo Indian ancestors.

It is our hope that Jack's work will continue to serve as a testament that people lived in North America beyond 10,000 years ago, they worshiped and  they mattered. 

Maybe Jack is a standing now like wave of energy living among those ancients he represented. 

Jack was a Virginia Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) credited with authoring 32 books on North America’s prehistory and discoverer of over a half-a-dozen other Native American solstice sites.

​These are some of the ways Jack touched our lives. We knew Jack for 10 years. During this time, Jack records 13 sacred sits dating back as far as 17,000 years before present.

Let us give Jack the last words. After ending a discovering he always said, "Well we did it folks!"

BLUEMONT, VA -- An 11-year-old Boy Scout found a fossilizing horse tooth around the triangle formation at the Paleo-Indian site here this week. Carter Tarbet was one of seven Boy Scouts from Troop 743 Round Hill, Virginia in Loudoun County who helped clear land to help with an upcoming 3D-scanning when he discovered the tooth.
     Describing the boys, Dave Tarbet 743 Troop Leader said, "They don't think about thousands of years ago. People lived here and left things behind."
     Dave is also Carter's father, and sounded proud that his son found the old horse tooth. 
     "It is eye opening for the boys to find something right here in their back yard," Dave added.
     This is the second horse tooth found here. Chris White, property owner, found the first fossilizing horse-tooth near the concentric rings last year. Evidence across America indicates the horse was here well before Columbus. The horse became extinct after the last Ice Age, some 9,000 years ago
     "We have not date tested the teeth, but it looks and feels very old," Chris said.
     Other artifacts excavated here over the past five years show this site was last use 10,470 years ago.
   "The boys helped a great deal and earned their archaeology merit badge and Indian lore merit badge for helping us," said Chris who has been working to preserve the site, since he discovered it over five years ago.
    "The boys had a great time and enjoyed seeing all the different parts of the property and understanding the uses," Dave added.

Bluemont, VA -- The Native American Church of Virginia offers ways to encourage and support the identification, stewardship, and use of Virginia's significant archaeological resources for educational and cultural benefits with preservation, protection and restoration of Paleo-Indian and Native American Indian sites and culture.
     Join us in October as we share evidence of an advanced, but different, intelligence left by a people more than 10,000 years ago here.
     Thanks to the Clermont Foundation, Blue Ridge Mountain Civic Association, Bears Den, Friends of Bluemont and Art in the Foothills for hosting us. Currently, we are participating in two presentations and one Art Show, all open to the public:

Clermont Farm Day
Sat., Oct. 11 Presentations and Exhibits
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
801 East Main Street
Berryville, VA 22611

Bears Den
Fri., Oct. 17 Presentations
7:00 - 8:00 pm
18393 Blue Ridge Mountain Rd
Bluemont, VA 20135

International Archaeology Day

Art in the Foothills
Oct. 24-26 Art Show
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness
18370 Bluemont Village Lane
Bluemont, VA 20135

For information about Virginia Archaeology Month can be found at the Department of Historical Resources.

Release of New T-Shirt on Oct. 11

BLUEMONT VA -- The Virginia Pilot, 220 miles away, published the Winchester Star article, "Stone circles on Va. property predate Stonehenge." Written by Val Van Meter, the online May 11, 2014 article received 462 shares on Facebook so far. Thanks Virginia Pilot.

The Virginia Pilot
ONLINE ARTICLE.

BLUEMONT, VA

"Calling the Rain"
    This music video, in the rain, is not what we had in mind when we set out to play Native American Flute during a mass release of butterflies. But sometimes, Great Spirit leads us to create what we create.

An Authentic First in a Historical Place
     Military veteran and musician Alan Stanz, now stands where another people stood 10,470 years ago. Experts have authenticated Paleo-Indians were here. They held ceremony in these symbolic concentric circles of stones. There is intelligence here. We found it. (Link)

A Spontaneous New Song
     Alan is spontaneously playing a new song. His first recording. Not from a song sheet, but from his heart. 
     Did Paleo-Indians play songs here too, within these circles? Was it eagle bone flute? Church bells? Trumpet taps? What did they pray for? How many heard it? Did they call for rain? Did they release butterflies? We have lots of questions.

Authentic and Real
     This video is as authentic and real as the place Alan stands now; a place where others stood more than 10,000 years ago.
     This is a "one-shot" music video recorded on this spot. One take. One camera. One microphone. Authentic. Real.

Giving Thanks
     We give thanks in all things. For this opportunity. For this song. For this knowledge. For this place. For the rain.

Washington Post via AP

BLUEMONT, Va. — Concentric stone circles near rocks weighing more than a ton — apparently aligned to mark solar events — are believed to be part of a Paleo-Indian site in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Clarke County that an expert has dated to about 10,000 B.C. (Full Story here.)

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Original story by: The Winchester Star, http://www.winchesterstar.com

      Spout-Run Paleo-Indian site owners are announcing dating results at the Bluemont Community Center on May 7 at 7:00 pm. The event is open to the public.
     The Bluemont Citizens Association invited the site owners to present findings to everyone who is interested in attending. The community center is a white building on the right side of Snickersville Turnpike and the largest building in the village of Bluemont in Northern Virginia. The address is 33846 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, VA 20135.
      “We are briefing that this is the oldest extant above ground human structure in the United States,” said Chris White site owner. “We believe the rarity of this find deserves serious attention, so we are unveiling our Archeologist and Anthropologist dating results to you.

• We are seeking people knowledgeable in pre-history preservation and restoration.
• We also welcome those who wish to honor and respect our vision.
• And we wish to thank those who have encouraged and supported us during these past four years of research.”

     In his report, the Archeologist calls this “Spout-Run Paleoindian Complex,” “the oldest extant, above-ground, human-constructed structures in North America,”  “constructed by Virginia’s First Engineers,” and “twice as old as Stonehenge.”

     The find is in Bluemont, which crosses into both Loudoun and Clarke Counties, from the Shenandoah River up the mountain to Bears Den.  
     “Opportunity has risen to preserve this sacred site, now and for our children, and future generations,” White said. “We appreciate your partnership and contributions toward uncovering the possibilities of this find, and the secrets that are yet to be revealed.”
    “If this unique site goes unprotected, or gets destroyed, we will never know the importance of its meaning. Any view into the past, is a learning and educational tool for the future. Once this is gone, it is gone, and there is no other to draw a resource from,” he added.
      Historically, the initial stories about the Paleoindian site were translated into multiple languages around the globe. The Bluemont community can expect international interest here again with the new results of this find.

By Val Van Meter
Winchester Star
(Distributed by Associated Press
Re-Printed by Native Times)

BLUEMONT, Va. (AP) – Rock circles on a spit of mountain land along Spout Run may be the oldest above-ground Paleoindian site in North America, according to Alexandria archaeologist Jack Hranicky.

He will deliver an address about the site – which he dates to 10,000 B.C. – to the Society for American Archaeology next April in Memphis, Tenn.

The site could put Clarke County “on the Paleo map,” Hranicky said.

The set of concentric circles drew the attention of landowners Chris and Rene White as they were planning to create a medicine wheel on their 20 acres south of Va. 7 on Blue Ridge Mountain.

After talks with his spiritual elder in Utah, Chris, a descendant of the Cherokee people, and his wife, from the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina, decided to open their property to spiritual leaders of Native American peoples who have business in the Washington area.

The area including the rock circles was the location that drew Chris White in.

When he was building his house, White said, he would often walk by the creek to take a break.

There, “a still, small voice said, `This land is important.' I didn't know what it meant, but I took it to heart,” he said.

As White prepared to put his medicine wheel on the site, he realized that a circle of stones was there – actually, several concentric circles.

“From my experience as a contractor, I knew that was not natural,” he said. “I realized something was already here.”

Someone suggested that White contact Hranicky, who had studied five other Paleoindian sites in Virginia.

He said he saw the pattern in the rocks as soon as he arrived at the site, noting three concentric circles at the western edge, which he believes was a ceremonial area. The inner circle could outline a bonfire space, he said, while the outer ring may have been an area for participants in the ritual to sit or stand.

To the east, touching this area, is another circle that Hranicky calls the observatory.

Here, rocks on the edge of the circle align with features on Blue Ridge Mountain to the east.

From a center rock, over a boundary rock, a line would intersect the feature called Bears Den Rocks on the mountain. Standing on that center rock, looking toward Bears Den, a viewer can see the sun rise on the day of the summer solstice, Hranicky said.

To prove that point, White and his wife took pictures of the sunrise last June 21, he said.

To the right of this rock around the circle, another lines up to Eagle Rock on the Blue Ridge, and with sunrise at the fall equinox (around Sept. 22-23), he said.

Yet a third points to a saddle on the mountain where the sun makes its appearance at the winter solstice (around Dec. 21-22).

“These are true solar positions,” he said.

A dozen feet east of the summer solstice rock is a mound of boulders, piled up, which Hranicky designates as “the altar.”

Hranicky, 69, a registered professional archaeologist who taught anthropology at Northern Virginia community College and St. Johns High School College, has been working in the field of archaeology, for 40 years.

“I had to wait 70 years to find a site like this,” he said.

Dating the site took some digging.

Hranicky was convinced that it was a Paleoindian site, based on the configuration of the concentric circles, the solstice alignment and the altar he has seen at other such sites. But he wanted an artifact.

He picked a five-foot-square area to dig, carefully numbering every rock and setting it aside, to be replaced later.

The reason for that, Hranicky said, is that in the future better methods may be available for dating sites, and he wanted to disturb as little as possible.

His test pit turned up three artifacts. One was a thin blade of quartzite. The second was a small piece of jasper, a type of quartz rock and an important find, Hranicky said.

Jasper was prized by Paleoindians for making tools. It was hard and durable, but could still be worked by Stone Age methods. They traveled miles to find sites where jasper nodules protruded from native rock, and quarried the stone to make projectile points and tools.

The third artifact was the most important. It was a tiny piece of jasper, no bigger than the end of a thumb, but this rock had been worked, Hranicky said. It was a tool, a mini-scraper.

“You don't know how thrilled I was when we found that little bitty tool,” he said.

Jasper on the site ties what Hranicky believes was a ceremonial and heavenly observation site to another proven Paleoindian site just to the south of Clarke County in Warren County – the Thunderbird site.

William Gardiner of Catholic University excavated that site for several years. Indians camped on the east bank of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and quarried jasper for tool making from bluffs on the west bank.

The Thunderbird site is dated to 10,000 B.C.

Hranicky's theory postulates that Paleoindians, searching for jasper for tool-making, followed the Shenandoah River from the Atlantic coastal areas some 12,000 years ago.

This coincides with the Younger Dryas period, when the climate turned abruptly colder and drier.

Jasper, Hranicky said, can't be “knapped” as easily in cold weather, so it would make sense for Indians traveling to find the stone to do so in the summer months.

An Indian “priest” would find it an advantage to know when summer offered the best work climate, marked by the summer solstice, and when the season was drawing to a close and cold weather was on the way (the fall equinox).

A leader who noticed how points on the mountain marked these calendar moments and could predict, with a rock “clock,” these dates, would be a “genius” to his tribe, Hranicky said.

Such times would be natural days for social celebrations of some type, he added. “They visited this place for a reason, like going to church.”

The visitors would have lived on the west bank of the river, a mile away, where it would be easier to find food, he suggested.

White noted that, to Native Americans, stones are considered “grandfathers.”

“If you see all these grandfathers, that makes it a place of wisdom.”

Water, he added, is a symbol of life. Spout Run, which ends in a sizeable waterfall at the Shenandoah River, would be both eye-catching and significant, while things that emerge from the underground, such as the springs that feed Spout Run, are a sign of rebirth.

All these characteristics could make the spot of the concentric circles significant to native people, White said.

Hranicky is applying to have the Whites' stone circles added to Virginia's list of archaeological sites.

“It will be recorded,” said state archaeologist Mike Barber.

Barber said several ceremonial observatories across North America are attributed to Paleoindians.

“Jack has recorded several of these types,” he said. “The real problem is proving what these things are. We haven't arrived at that level yet.”

Barber said he has received a preliminary report on the site from Hranicky, and is trying to schedule a time to visit it.

Is the Clarke County site an ancient solar observatory for early Americans?

Barber is cautious.

“I'm not to the point where I can say that this is one of them.”