A collection of prehistoric dugout canoes, estimated to date back around 3000 BCE, has been recovered from the bottom of Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, meaning at least one of these vessels predates the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. This finding is part of a larger underwater survey where archaeologists mapped a total of 16 canoes, offering rare evidence of extensive Indigenous travel and the lake’s use across millennia. It is remarkable that such organic artifacts have endured underwater for such an extended period, comparable to some of the world’s most ancient stone structures.
The Wisconsin Historical Society posits that the canoes appear clustered into two distinct groups, suggesting repeated utilization of the same shore access points over vast stretches of time. Radiocarbon dating confirms the oldest canoe is roughly 5,200 years old, while the newest is about 700 years old, implying that people returned to these locales repeatedly, potentially employing them as communal caches along an established travel network.
This latest discovery aligns with prior reports concerning this lake; earlier investigations uncovered canoes ranging in age from 800 to 4,500 years, indicating this is a major archaeological concentration rather than isolated incidents of “lost boats.”
One of the most fascinating aspects involves the frequent use of oak, particularly red oak, wood that typically absorbs water and isn’t usually considered optimal boat-building material. The Wisconsin Historical Society relays that analyses conducted by the USDA Forest Products Laboratory suggest the builders might have actually selected damaged or weakened trees exhibiting tyloses—structures within the wood that impede water flow, thereby enhancing resistance to decay and moisture absorption. In essence, these canoe makers may have understood how to “condition” wood long before contemporary jargon like “bioengineering” existed.
The artifacts emerging from Lake Mendota carry distinct cultural importance as they lie within ancestral landscapes significant to the region’s Native communities. In a Wisconsin Historical Society press release, tribal heritage preservation staff characterize the canoes as proof of intricate networks and enduring connections to waterways—bonds that remain relevant in the present day.
Presently, two of the discovered boats have been brought to the surface, and both are currently undergoing lengthy stabilization procedures.
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