A prehistoric discovery of at least eleven ancient canoes found at the bottom of a Wisconsin lake could lead archaeologists to a long-lost village.
The Wisconsin Historical Society discovered the boats in the state’s northern Lake Mendota, which are between 4,500 and 800 years old.
Artifacts such as fishing nets and tools, each made from a single tree, were also found among the preserved vessels.
The canoes were also discovered along a coastline that has since been submerged, suggesting that a previously unknown civilization once flourished in the area.
A prehistoric discovery of at least eleven ancient canoes found at the bottom of a Wisconsin lake could lead archaeologists to a long-lost village. Pictured is a 3,000 year old boat at its original resting place
“Seeing these canoes firsthand is a powerful experience, and they serve as a physical representation of what we know from extensive oral traditions that Native scholars have passed down from generation to generation,” says Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the Ho-Chunk Nation Bill . Quackenbush.
“We are excited to learn all we can from this site using the technology and tools available to us, and to continue sharing the enduring stories and ingenuity of our ancestors.”
While the Ho-Chunk tribe once lived in the area around Lake Mendota, the Paleo-Indian people were the first inhabitants to arrive about 12,000 years ago – the Ho-Chunk tribe migrated there no earlier than 800 AD.
The boats are known as dugout canoes because they are all built from a single tree.
After cutting down the tree and shaping the canoe, the natives burned the seating area and scraped out the charcoal with stone tools to create a softer feel on the inside.
Archaeologists have been excavating the lake since 2021 and have uncovered a 1,200-year-old boat about 4.5 meters long, found among old fishing nets.
The boat was discovered 30 feet below the surface.
The teams removed each canoe from the water for a deeper analysis, but are not removing additional boats for fear of breaking them
The Wisconsin Historical Society discovered the boats in northern Lake Mendota, which are between 4,500 and 800 years old. Pictured is a 3000 year old canoe
While the Ho-Chunk tribe once lived in the area around Lake Mendota, the Paleo-Indian people were the first inhabitants to arrive about 12,000 years ago. The boats may have belonged to ancient civilization
Amy Rosebrough, staff archaeologist at the Wisconsin Historical Society, told DailyMail.com in 2021: “The canoe was used for fishing on the lakes as we found a group of ‘net sinkers’ within.
“These items would have weighed down the bottom of a floating fishing net or anchored fishing lines.”
The canoe first looked like a tree trunk protruding from the surface, but archaeologists decided to conduct further analysis using underwater scooters and divers, which brought to light the historic find.
A year later, the team pulled a 4.5-meter-long boat from a depth 3,000 years old.
“Radiocarbon dating results indicate that the oldest canoe in the Lake Mendota cache is approximately 4,500 years old – making it the oldest canoe now recorded in the Great Lakes – dating to approximately 2500 BC and built of elm,” the team shared in the announcement.
The four oldest canoes date from the Late Archaic period, from 1000 BC. to 700 AD, and two are from the late Archaic period. Middle Woodland period spanning from 1000 AD. to 1400 AD.
The canoes were found with rocks carefully placed on top of them while they were below the surface, which experts say was done to ensure the boats did not warp during the winter months.
Archaeologists have been investigating Lake Mendota since 2021 (photo).
The dating technique has also determined that four canoes date from the Late Woodland period – around 1000 BC.
And the most recent one turned out to be about 800 years old, from the Oneota period, built of Red Oak and dating to about 1250 AD.
Ash, White Oak, Cottonwood and White Oak were other tree species used to build the ancient boats.
The canoes were found with rocks carefully placed on top of them while they were below the surface, which experts say was done to ensure the boats did not warp during the winter months.
The boats are known as dugout canoes because they are all built from a single tree. After cutting down the tree and shaping the canoe, the natives burned the seating area and scraped out the charcoal with stone tools to create a softer feel on the inside
Ash, White Oak, Cottonwood and White Oak were other tree species used to build the ancient boats
The recovery team used flotation bags to lift the boats from the bottom of the lake and float them underwater towards the beach until they reached shore
The salvage team used flotation bags to lift the boats from the lake bottom and float them underwater toward the beach until they reached shore.
“It was important to limit the time the canoe was exposed to the open air to prevent physical deterioration,” Rosebrough said.
“We have much to learn from the Mendota canoe site, and the research taking place today allows us to better understand and share the stories of the people who lived here and had a thriving culture here since time immemorial,” said Larry Plucinski, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribal Historic Preservation Officer.
The Wisconsin Historical Society does not plan to recover any other canoes from the site due to their fragile condition after prolonged exposure to natural elements, and later from man-made conditions such as water pollution and boat wakes.
“It is an honor for our team to work with Native Nations to document, research and share these incredible stories from history,” Rosebrough said regarding the 2024 announcement.
‘What we initially thought was an isolated discovery in Lake Mendota has grown into an important archaeological site that has much to tell us about the people who lived and thrived in this area for thousands of years, as well as providing new evidence for major ecological shifts in the over time. .’