On November 2, Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archaeologists recovered a historic dugout wood canoe from the bottom of Lake Mendota, just a few months after learning of its existence in June 2021. Carbon dating indicates that the vessel is approximately 1,200 years old and was in use around A.D. 800, centuries before European arrival.

“The dugout canoe found in Lake Mendota is a significant artifact of the continuum of canoe culture in the Western Great Lakes region,” said Christian Overland, the Ruth and Hartley Barker Director & CEO for the Wisconsin Historical Society. “By taking action to preserve this canoe we are protecting a piece of history for future generations. The canoe is a remarkable artifact, made from a single tree, that connects us to the people living in this region 1,200 years ago. As the Society prepares to open a new history museum in 2026, we are excited about the new possibilities it offers to share Native American stories and culture through the present day.”

Excavation of the area around the canoe began in late October 2021, and maritime archaeologists recovered artifacts from the site early on in their process. Net sinkers, rocks that were flattened by hand tooling, were recovered from within the canoe, indicating the vessel may have been used for fishing. The canoe was raised from a depth of about 30 feet with the assistance of the Dane County Sherriff’s dive team.

“Recovering the canoe from Lake Mendota required a carefully coordinated team effort,” said Jim Skibo, state archaeologist for the Wisconsin Historical Society. “After many hours in and out of the field preparing for a successful recovery, I could not be prouder of the work accomplished by the divers, archaeologists, and supporting staff involved with this project.”

The recovery team used floatation bags to raise the canoe to the lake’s surface, and by 1:30 in the afternoon, the artifact was removed from the water via a nearby beach. The canoe was transported to Wisconsin’s State Archive Preservation Facility and placed into a custom-built storage vat containing water and a bio-deterrent to protect the canoe from physical deterioration. Over time, a chemical solution will be added to the vat which will eventually replace the water in the cellular structure of the wood. The preservation process is estimated to take approximately 3 years.