"The Wisconsin Historical Society announced Wednesday that archaeologists have mapped the location of 16 canoes submerged in the lake bed of Lake Mendota in Madison. Tamara Thomsen, the state's maritime archaeologist, said that the site lies near a network of what were once indigenous trails, suggesting ancient people left the canoes there for anyone to use as they traveled, much like a modern-day e-bike rack."
"Working with Sissel Schroeder, a UW-Madison professor who specializes in Native American cultures, and preservation officers with the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Thomsen has now located the remains of 12 additional canoes, Thomsen said. Radiocarbon dating shows the oldest of the 16 canoes dates back to 5,200 years ago, making it the third oldest canoe discovered in eastern North America, she said."
Archaeologists mapped 16 canoes submerged in the bed of Lake Mendota near Madison, locating them close to a network of former indigenous trails that suggests communal use. Initial finds began in 2021 with a 1,200-year-old canoe, followed by discoveries of 3,000-, 4,500- and 2,000-year-old canoes. Collaboration with a UW-Madison scholar and preservation officers from the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa expanded the inventory by 12 additional canoes. Radiocarbon dating shows the oldest canoe dates to about 5,200 years ago, ranking it among the oldest in eastern North America.
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