Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park

Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park is a state park in Michigan containing Michigan's only known rock carvings attributable to Native American Indians. The park consists of 240 acres in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

The carvings, known as petroglyphs, were discovered by residents after a fire swept through the area in 1881. Because they are made in relatively friable sandstone, geologists have been able to determine that the carvings were made 300 to 1,000 years ago. There is concern that the carvings may be worn further away if some form of presevation is not undertaken. [ [http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0506/12/metro-211987.htm "Michigan's American Indian carvings in danger of fading away"] , "The Detroit News", 11 Jun 2005.]

The petroglyphs include depictions of swirls, lines, handprints, flying birds and bow-wielding men, created by an unknown Native American tribe on a 1000 square foot sandstone rock in Sanilac County, Michigan between 400 and 1,000 years ago. The petroglyphs are the only known such carvings in the state of Michigan.

The poor-grade sandstone slab in which the petroglyphs were carved is a soft stone that allowed Native Americans to cut it easily. But that softness is has proven problematic today as it has allowed generations of visitors to damage the slab with graffiti. Graffiti combined with natural weathering has made the actual petrogyphs difficult to see. The state has made a series of improvements to the site to protect the slab.

External links

* [http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=490 "Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park" Michigan Department of Natural Resources] ;
* [http://www.michigan.org/travel/detail.asp?m=&p=G5312 "Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park" Michigan Economic Development Corporation]
* [http://www.michigan.gov/sanilacpetroglyphs Official State Site]

References