Another rock circle

What did they mean, these circles of rocks? A month ago, I found such an arrangement on a remote hill about a mile from Fort Bowie National Historical Site in southern Arizona ("Circle of rocks," December posts). Assuming Native Americans had created it, I called several archeologists and tribal historians, but no one could tell me what their purpose was.

A few days ago, hiking from our campsite at Painted Rocks Petroglyph Site northwest of Gila Bend, I came across another rock circle, shown in the top photo. Virtually identical to the one near Fort Bowie, it was also on a remote hill, with no trail, road or development nearby. Like the first, the second was in an area long used by Native Americans. The first circle included four rocks in the center, oriented roughly north, south, east and west. The second circle had just a single center rock. I lifted that rock to get an idea of how long it had been there (and then of course replaced it).

After finding the second circle, I made some more calls, but again the experts shrugged. "We find these structures occasionally," said Susan Wells, an archeologist with the National Park Service in Tucson. "Were they sleeping circles or vision quests or anchors for a shelter or something else? We're just not sure. Modern Native Americans aren't sure either because the circles haven't been part of their culture for generations." The center rocks might have supported a pole or a campfire, Wells speculated. She added that the circles range in age from a hundred to thousands of years. "A geologist would have to examine the rocks to estimate when they were set," she said.

It's frustrating to walk away from a discovery on a trail of question marks. But far more important than answers is the ability to make discoveries in the first place, and for that I'm grateful to RVing.