Archaeologists have studied the Sanilac Petroglyphs site since the 1920s, recording the carvings through drawings, photographs, and plaster casts, and excavating around the rock outcrop. Stone tools and pottery found during investigations show that native people occupied the area intermittently over roughly the last 8,000 years and help date the creation of the petroglyphs to within the last 1,500 years. A prominent carving featuring a bow and arrow also suggests this time period, which followed the introduction of this technology to the region. Because artifacts are sparse at the site, archaeologists think that native people did not establish a permanent village or camp there, but more likely visited it occasionally in small groups for brief periods as a special place. Archaeology helps reveal the history of the site and its changes over time, and future research using new technologies may add to that understanding. The soft sandstone carvings are easily damaged by rain, wind, frost, plants, animals, and human touch, and although many faded naturally over the centuries, some were vandalized or chipped away and stolen.