THE SANILAC PETROGLYTHS Mike Szajner Royal Oak

THE SANILAC PETROGLYTHS

Mike Szajner
Royal Oak, Michigan

The Sanilac Petroglyph site is located approximately in the center of Michigan's "thumb area," almost in line with Bay City, Michigan. It is one of our state's most interesting archaeological sites and is open to the public. Sanilac Petroglyph State Park is Michigan's only known example of primitive petroglyph art. The site is two miles east of New Greenfield, Michigan. and covers 240 acres of wilderness. The sign at the intersection of Bay City-Forestville and Germania roads and the park entrance makes it easy to find. There is a graveled parking lot, and the petroglyph site is accessible by following a short nature trail that concludes with the stone outcroppings around the park. The key to the fence enclosing the sheltered petrogylph must be obtained from Mr. Lynn Spencer, the park caretaker, who lives just south of Germania Road. If there are cars in the parking lot when you arrive, there is a good chance that the gate has already been unlocked.

Location of the Sanilac petroglyph site.

The main petroglyph itself is a sandstone outcropping about 40 feet long by 15 feet wide. All over the carved surface of the rock are petroglyphs, some deep and others barely discernible. There are human figures, outlines of hands and feet, zoomorphic figures, bird forms, animal tracks, small cup-like depressions, spirals, clubs and rake-like elements, as well as apparently mythical animals.
The site is extremely vulnerable to weathering, and the "Sanilac Stone" was believed by local residents to have been discovered by burning-off of the surface vegetation during the great fires of 1871 and 1881. Because of weathering problem, no exact date for the site has been agreed upon. There appears to be no way of using forest development, pollen analysis or dendrochrology to date this site. No one knows for sure who the carvers were or what the images they created mean. Mr. Spencer (the caretaker) felt that, aside from graffiti carved by lumberman in 1876-1877 and some vandalization done as recent as 1990, most recent inscriptions are thought to be from the early 1600's. Spencer believes that the most important chiefs from tribes of the north-central states held huge councils in this area and commemorated these events via carvings. Then state archaeologist John Halsey stated in a Detroit Free Press article on the site that there wasn't any evidence to support Mr. Spencer's claim. Halsey believes that the earliest petrogylph would date to the Late Woodland period, 1000 AD or later, but that date is unconfirmed.

The main group of Sanilac petroglyphs as interpreted by Darryl J. Richards. Areas from which figures have been removed are shown by crosshatching.

In the 1940's the Cranbrook Institute archaeologist Darrel J. Richards thoroughly recorded the site, taking both pictures and diagramming the site. Anyone familiar with the Petersborough, Ontario and Kelley's Island sites, and Ohio petroglyph sites will notice a marked similarity to the style and symbolism at the Sanilac site. There is the possibility that these sites are somehow related. The Petersborough site was detailed by Harvard Professor Barry Fell's book, Bronze Age America. Professor Fell deciphered these petroglyphs as being a record of Norse copper traders from around 2000 BC, as many of these inscriptions were "in his interpretation" consistent with Tifnag and Ogam consiane alphabets.

Inscription depicting a human using a bow and arrow.

Note the Ogam style rake on the right side of this petroglyph.

Many of the rake-like elements of the Sanilac inscriptions do strongly resemble the Ogam writing system, and it is possible that Native Americans of Michigan played an international and diplomatic role and hosted Norsemen thousands of years before the arrival of Columbus. It may just be possible that the Norse may have been met by local inhabitants of the area and were allowed to record their visit on the stone along with earlier and later Indian inscriptions. Stranger things have been discovered. If this were found to be true, Michigan would certainly become one of the more prominent states involved in "New-World exploration" archaeology.

Inscription featuring a cross, various indentations and human hand depictions

Back in 1973 a $750,000 proposal for improvements of the park to include picnic and camping facilities and better protection for the petroglyphs was approved by the state, but as bad luck would have it, the park's renovation budget was cut to $33,000 in 1981. With that funding the current open shelter over the site and the fence around it, as well as the parking area, were added.
The Sanilac Petroglyph Park is a fascinating archaeological site and a fun place to visit, with its beautiful nature trail. Bring the kids (and a camera) and have a picnic while you are there. Please remember to keep the children from walking on the rock, as it is fragile sandstone. I had to remind at least a dozen people of that the last time I was there. The "Please do not walk on the Rock" signs apply to everyone.