Vikings in the Keweenaw?

The Keweenaw Peninsula has a very long history of ancient copper mining but how long? As far north as you can go, at the very tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, lies the Keweenaw Petroglyphs and somewhat of a mystery. There are two etched into the stone where some believe the shoreline of Lake Superior use to exist. The most beautiful petroglyph is that of a sailing boat, which closely resembles that of a Viking or Phoenician sailing ship.

A second petroglyph is that of a beautiful depiction of a bear. Bears are a common effigy among Native American’s but this style of carving seems to indicate that someone who traveled from outside the Great Lakes region may have carved this work of art.

The question is how old are they? Who carved them? Are they ancient or are they "fakes"? There are varying opinions and hopefully they will be studied to see if this mystery can be solved.

Even if the Keweenaw Petroglyphs aren't thousands of years old, the location is a delicate and beautiful ecosystem, and the etchings still have historical significance, and are really cool!

If you do stumble upon the area, please consider the following guidelines on exploring petroglyphs. *Please do not touch the glyphs with your hands or tools or remove any surface lichen or soil or anything adhered to the area.
• Please do not add anything to highlight the lines of the petroglyph. If you need improved visibility, add angled light from a strong battery-powered flashlight or visit very early or very late in the day when shadows are greater.
• Do not add your own marks on any nearby surfaces as this encourages others to defile the surfaces. Irreversible damage is now being done to the site by those who do not understand the etiquette or value of these ancient markings.
• Please respect the original makers of the marks, whomever they may be, and tread lightly over the entire area…do not walk on any of the mosses and lichens.
• Please do not geotag the location and #hastag responsibly.