SAUCIER — Pointing to the source

I was walking on the greenway, approaching an abutment to the highway overpass.

Something caught my eye in the rocks heaped against the base of the concrete.

There was one, at first — a tower of stones of varying shapes stacked so precisely and delicately that gravity was ironically the only thing keeping it from toppling off the side of the large boulder that provided its foundation.

To the right of that unexpected sight was another, even taller tower, built with larger rocks, diminishing in size until a small, pointed stone topped the rustic edifice.

There were four more, not as tall, but more complex as they were formed with jagged, odd-shaped rocks.

One would think it difficult to securely stack two or three on top of each other, let alone eight or nine to form a free-standing spire.

I have seen similar structures before on hiking trails, a welcome marker to those with no apps to guide their way.

Years ago, I encountered them in the Andes of Peru.

The Quechua Indians called them apacheta. Dating back centuries, they, too, served as markers.

The apacheta was considered a sacred site. It was not only where travelers could rest and find their bearings. Those same travelers would offer coca leaves, food, drink or flowers to honor their Pachamama (Mother Earth) and please the Apu (mountain spirits.)

All these rock formations are called “cairns.” The word comes from the Scottish Gaelic, but cairns are found on every continent.

Building cairns is an ancient tradition, older than many civilizations.

There is evidence of cairns from the Neolithic Period, 4,000 to 5,000 years ago.

Many anthropologists believe that some indigenous people used cairns as burial markers long before that.

Over the millennia, cairns have served as tombs, boundaries, altars and trail markers.

Pointing to the heavens, there has always been something about them suggesting divine reliance: a mark of honor or gratitude, a plea for direction and safety.

All this made me wonder about the builders of these local cairns. Were they young physics students from the nearby university? Someone seeking guidance on their journey? Someone whose harried life has shown them the need for balance in their lives?

I don’t know how long those towers will stand before they become the targets of other rocks, this time used for destruction rather than creation.

I just hope that those who built them found peace in their pause. And those who topple them will someday find the same.