Proposal:Linear Cairn
| Linear Cairn | |
|---|---|
| Proposal status: | Draft (under way) |
| Proposed by: | morganwahl |
| Tagging: | man_made=cairn |
| Applies to: | linear (a way) |
| Definition: | A linear mound of stones that is too short to be a barrier. |
| Statistics: |
|
| Rendered as: | rounded rocks in a line |
| Draft started: | 2020-11-28 |
Proposal
To map old stone "walls" common in New England as simply Tag:man_made=cairn on a way. And to update the wiki page for man_made=cairn to include this usage.
Rationale
The current uses of man_made=cairn are focused on mapping small piles of stones used as trail markers or survey points, and only recommend using it with nodes. I would like to expand the definition of "cairn" to include other small, man-made piles of rocks. In particular I would like to use this when mapping the long piles of rocks often found around old fields in New England (where I live).
These are often called "stone walls" or "stone fences", but are not typically barriers, so the "barrier" tag seems inappropriate. (See images below.) Many probably wouldn't be easily discernable as man-made if they weren't in a line.
They can often just be stepped over by a hiker. They are potentially nice to show on a hiking map, since they can serve as small landmarks when following a trail. (E.g., "We should pass over an old stone fence before coming to the trail where we take a left.").
Also, some people are really into them, and they can be see as having some kind of social/historical/scenic value. See a previous proposal for mapping them with "man_made=stone_wall": Proposed_features/Stone_Wall
"Cairn" is by no means the local term used to describe these features; indeed, I was unfamiliar with the term until coming across Tag:man_made=cairn when trying to figure out how to map these old "fences". However I think "cairn" is a much more accurate description, and has the advantage of describing the physical reality of them, instead of the inferred use as "walls", "fences", or land-parcel markers. It also makes this usage easier to apply elsewhere in the world.
There's some confusion/debate about the exact nature and original intent of these features. Some people seem to think of them as old dry-stone walls that have fallen down, and others maintain that they're simply what anthropologists apparently call clearance cairns. Regardless, they're all over the place in New England woods, so I'd like to have a good approach to mapping them. Simply saying "it's a man-made pile of rocks" describes them without getting into historical debates.
Examples
Some example images:
Photos by me, can be used in the wiki: https://www.flickr.com/photos/13113152@N03/50666586463/in/album-72157717112911448/
Some other photos I've just found around the web:
https://www.birdreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/rockwall.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-50E8JW-5Or0/UZrKgp9irDI/AAAAAAAAEqI/2H-9enBx2w8/s1600/DSC07940.JPG
Tagging
man_made=cairn on a way for a linear pile of stones that can be easily crossed over. If the pile actually impedes movement, barrier=wall with wall=dry_stone would be more appropriate. (Similar "can you cross it?" idea to waterway=stream vs. waterway=river)
Part of the point of the proposal is to not have to determine whether these are former ruined walls or old clearance cairns, and just map their physical reality today.
If a mapper for some reason knows a particular one is an old stone wall that has fallen apart, I would propose still tagging man_made=cairn on a way. Other tags like historic=ruins and ruins=wall, or abandoned:barrier=wall or any of the other lifecycle prefixes could be added to indicate that history.
Similarly, if a mapper knows a particular one is a former clearance cairn, (i.e. it has always just looked like a pile of stones), they would still use man_made=cairn on a way, but could add plus historic=archaeological_site and its subtags. This might make sense when mapping other remains of old farms in what's now woods, e.g. old roads, dams, and building foundations.
Applies to
Ways.
Rendering
Maybe some small grey dots, arrange irregularly along the way. Should indicate it is _not_ a barrier. May or may not look similar to a node with man_made=cairn.
Features/Pages affected
I don't think this will create problems with the existing usages of man_made=cairn on nodes.
External discussions
Comments
Please comment on the discussion page.