Today at dinner, my family had an interesting discussion. Upon much debate, we found out that the site of our house and farm used to be an old route for bison traveling toward Fayetteville, North Carolina, for warmer weather. Prior to our belief, at one time there was a breed of bison that lived in wooded areas and thrived on the east coast. Sadly, they became extinct in the nineteenth century.
While hiking with my father one day on some recently cleared land, we came across a stretch of dirt that seemed oddly flat for the area. After stepping back and looking more generally at the section, we discovered that it was an old road. Neither my grandma or grandpa remember that ever being a road during their time here, leading us to believe it was left from an older period of time.
My father has a keen eye for certain artifacts. During his time in Moore County, he has accumulated quite a collection of arrowheads left from Indians many years ago. From small and sharp, to large and carefully crafted, he has also found grinding stones and other artifacts from a period of time now gone extinct. Usually, the arrowheads are found in an area that has recently been disturbed and are rarely just on top of the ground.
Hiking on family land can be quite an interesting pastime. On many occasions, we have found springs coming out of the ground. In some of them, the past remains. Families used to rock off a spring in order to be able to get clean water from it, and prevent dirt being washed into it. During hiking, sometimes these springs can be found and the rock lining can still be seen.
History is all around us. The remains of our ancestors can be found in more places than just a cemetery. Off the beaten path there are so many things to be seen and discovered. Just below our feet, the evidence of a lost way of life is hiding. Although it may have been forgotten, that does not mean it is gone forever. By digging into what happened before your time, useful information can be found and the life of long ago discovered. History awaits you -- right below your feet.