The mystery walls of the East Bay hills

[Eldorado 45,131]

"Across the East Bay hills and throughout much of the Bay Area, Benney and his group have found rock walls, formations and alignments, many that could date to ancient times.

"“Our mission is to explore, discover, educate, protect,” said Richard DeGraffenreid, who often teams up with Benney to explore Bay Area parks to locate ancient, historical structures. “We enjoy discovering a world inhabited by our local Native Americans.”"

Full article at the SF Chronicle: https://www.sfchronicle.com/outdoors/stienstra/article/Deciphering-the-mystery-walls-of-East-Bay-hills-15041307.php#photo-11932859

East Bay walls at Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Bay_Walls

Edited February 9 by Eldorado

[Piney 58,495]

32 minutes ago, Eldorado said:

"“Our mission is to explore, discover, educate, protect,” said Richard DeGraffenreid, who often teams up with Benney to explore Bay Area parks to locate ancient, historical structures. “We enjoy discovering a world inhabited by our local Native Americans.”"

 

Early-mid 1800s. 

[Manwon Lender 5,687]

7 hours ago, Piney said:

Early-mid 1800s. 

Here a pretty good theory where the walls came from, it certainly makes more sense than some of the other ideas.

Fentress and other archaeologists who have studied and recorded the walls agree that there is an explanation, though.

The rock walls were the work of us — the people who pushed the native tribes off the land.

Fentress said some wall building may have begun in the Mission period, and walls like the ones in the hills followed. Some were likely built to mark property lines. Many others were put up as part of ranching and farming operations, such as those that were known to have existed both in the Berkeley Hills and the Monument Peak area.

He also points to the many European immigrant groups known to have ranched and farmed in the hills.

"Did these people make rock walls in their countries?" Fentress asks. "Look at them all — Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and so on. Of course they made rock walls."

Here a link

https://www.kqed.org/news/11689504/uncovering-the-real-story-behind-the-mysterious-east-bay-walls

Peace

[Captain Risky 9,308]

2 hours ago, Manwon Lender said:

Here a pretty good theory where the walls came from, it certainly makes more sense than some of the other ideas.

Fentress and other archaeologists who have studied and recorded the walls agree that there is an explanation, though.

The rock walls were the work of us — the people who pushed the native tribes off the land.

Fentress said some wall building may have begun in the Mission period, and walls like the ones in the hills followed. Some were likely built to mark property lines. Many others were put up as part of ranching and farming operations, such as those that were known to have existed both in the Berkeley Hills and the Monument Peak area.

He also points to the many European immigrant groups known to have ranched and farmed in the hills.

"Did these people make rock walls in their countries?" Fentress asks. "Look at them all — Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and so on. Of course they made rock walls."

Here a link

https://www.kqed.org/news/11689504/uncovering-the-real-story-behind-the-mysterious-east-bay-walls

Peace

They made rock walls to clear fields of stones. Used the stones as fencing. Small plots of land made this doable. 18th century California not so. I could wrong.