Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, has revealed up to 11 ancient canoes, including one 4,500 years old. Since 2021, the Wisconsin Historical Society has been uncovering these treasures, with the oldest canoe setting a record for the Great Lakes region. They offer a window into Native American life across millennia. The discoveries started with a 1,200-year-old canoe in 2021, then a 3,000-year-old one in 2022. Made from elm and red oak, these canoes span from 2500 B.C.E. to 1250 C.E.
Researchers believe Native peoples sank the canoes in shallow waters each fall to preserve them for winter, retrieving them in spring. Floods, droughts, and sediment later buried them under the lakebed, keeping them safe until now. Archaeologist Amy Rosebrough told reporters that more canoes might line the lake’s edges, raising exciting questions. The oldest, from the Late Archaic period, shows navigation before farming or burial mounds began.
Likely crafted by ancestors of the Ho-Chunk Nation, these canoes come from a people whose names are unknown. Some date to the Middle Woodland period, with early trade and farming, while others are from the Late Woodland period, known for corn and mounds, or the Oneota period’s villages. Ground-penetrating radar maps the lakebed to study these fragile relics safely. The first two canoes will be preserved at Texas A&M University for display at the Wisconsin History Center in 2027.
Fragile fragments stay underwater to protect them. Bill Quackenbush, Ho-Chunk Nation preservation officer, says the canoes bring ancestral tales to life. They show how Native peoples traveled and thrived for thousands of years. A canoe is easy to relate to, helping us picture its creators. The Wisconsin Historical Society plans sonar surveys to seek more finds. These canoes connect us to the skill and resilience of Native peoples in the Great Lakes.
