Stone By Stone: the Magnificent History in New England's Stone Walls - Book Review

Science News, Nov 30, 2002

ROBERT M. THORSON

Stone walls are ubiquitous in New England. At one time, these walls could have encircled the globe 10 times. The mass of stone used is greater than that from all the remaining ancient monuments in the world. Thorson, a professor of geophysics and geology, relays a scientific as well as a sociological history of the walls--a "geoarchaeology." He proposes that these walls are not merely architectural ornaments, but amount to landforms much like the coral reefs of Florida or the caves of Kentucky. Beginning with the Ice Age formation of the stones, Thorson explains that by clearing away old growth forests, colonial farmers enabled the stones to emerge from the ground. These and later farmers had to clear the stones away. They found that they could do this efficiently by stacking the stones into low-rising walls. Thorson examines the environmental impact of this practice, as well as the construction, function, and structure of the different types of walls that were built. Finally, he examines the demise of stone walls and the structures that replace them today. Walker, 2002, 287 p., b&w photos/illus., hardcover, $26.00.