Ancient Michigan Petroglyph Site Irrevocably Damaged
One of two documented petroglyph sites in the state now permanently defaced
Vandals have defaced one of Michigan’s oldest historic parks. Officials say someone using a sharp tool, created new carvings in the rock at the Sanilac Petroglyph Historic State Park near Cass City in Michigan’s thumb area. Sandra Clark is the Director of the Michigan History Center. She says the carvings are believed to be centuries old and tell the stories of native peoples.
“We associate this with native peoples as an ancient way of storytelling and communication. There are also petro graphs, which are paintings on rock. So ours in Michigan is a ‘glyph’ which is the carving” -Sandra Clark
Pictures below show the damage done to the petroglyphs
Clark says there are only two documented petroglyph sites in Michigan. She says because the recent vandalism was carved into the stone next to the ancient carvings, the damage appears to be permanent. Clark is hoping someone with information about the vandalism will contact law enforcement.
