We decided to explore into the woods because I had seen references to a quarry on an old map. The woods seem to be above a depression in the ground. Along the way we came across this matress.
A seasoned surface is hydrophobic and highly attractive to oils and fats used for cooking. These form a layer that prevents foods, which typically contain water, from touching and cooking onto the hydrophilic metallic cooking surface underneath. These properties are useful when frying, roasting and baking.