With 16 canoes now identified, Wisconsin Historical Society archaeologists are investigating theories spanning thousands of years of cultural history
MADISON, Wis. – Four years after locating and recovering a 1,200-year-old dugout canoe from Lake Mendota, Wisconsin Historical Society archaeologists and First Nations in the region have continued to wade into the history of the rich archaeological site in the heart of Wisconsin’s capitol city. The Wisconsin Historical Society retrieved another ancient canoe from the site in 2022—the oldest dugout canoe originating from the Great Lakes region at the time of recovery at 3,000 years-old—and has since identified 14 ancient canoes still submerged in the lakebed, six of which were located in the spring of 2025. As the two recovered canoes are nearing completion of a multi-year preservation process to ensure their long-term stability, with one of them slated for exhibition in the future Wisconsin History Center, historians are investigating the history behind the underwater site to help preserve and share the story with future generations.
Latest Findings
Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen, in partnership with First Nations of Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Sissel Schroeder, has been on a mission to chart the locations of more canoes in Lake Mendota since her unexpected finding of a 1,200 year-old dugout canoe in 2021. Working alongside various collaborators also including the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, efforts have allowed her to map the locations of 16 canoes to date, including the two retrieved in recent years, and identify the wood types and probable ages represented in samples taken from each of the ancient watercraft. Thomsen is now considering theories behind the grouped positions of the canoes as well as the selection of particular species of trees used to craft them.
“Archaeology is kind of like putting together pieces of a puzzle, and the more pieces you can find, the better you can start to form a picture of what was going on and why during a period of history,” said Tamara Thomsen, Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Archaeologist. “We can’t go back in time to get answers to our questions, but we can examine the available data alongside knowledge from First Nations and cultural history to form theories to answer our questions.”
Of the 16 canoes identified, half were constructed of either red or white oak according to wood type analysis conducted on the samples by the USDA Forest Products Laboratory. The prevalence of oak—and particularly red oak, which is not typically used for watercraft due to its tendency to absorb water—prompted Thomsen to examine the reasoning behind its use for canoe building.
“When you look at the shoreline map with canoe locations charted, it’s clear that there are two distinctive groupings represented,” said Thomsen. “Looking at the tree species taxonomy, we wondered not just why certain trees were used by the builders but also why these canoes were situated in these two locations. Carbon dating from the samples told us that both spots were in use over thousands of years, and so we started to form theories as to why they were left where they were and why certain trees were used.”
Carbon dating, which provides a probable age range for each sample, indicates the oldest canoe is around 5,200-years-old while the most recent is around 700 years old. The oldest Lake Mendota canoe identified to date was likely crafted sometime around 3000 BCE, before the Great Pyramid of Giza was built in Egypt and around the time of the invention of writing in Sumer. Constructed of red oak, it is now the oldest dugout canoe recorded from the Great Lakes region and the third oldest in eastern North America.
Emerging Theories
Oak wood, along with some of the other species represented in the samples, is known to form tyloses when the tree encounters stress during the growth cycle such as through wounding or pathogen infection. Tyloses also form as a natural part of a tree’s aging process. During the production of tylosis, balloon-like structures form inside of the wood’s vessels which blocks water movement—preventing the spread of fungi and bacteria and compartmentalizing injuries to protect the wood from decay. As a result, the tyloses make the wood better suited for boat building due to its increased water resistance, buoyancy and protection against rot.
“It’s entirely possible that the canoe builders were intentionally selecting trees that had been damaged from weather or purposefully wounding them during their growth cycle to induce tyloses. We think of bioengineering as a modern practice, but the samples we have suggest this may have been taking place long before the term was coined in the mid-20th century,” said Thomsen.
As for the centralization of canoes into two distinct groupings, a comparison against mapped trailways used by Indigenous communities suggests strategic placement for ease of travel over the landscape, not just for accessing natural resources from the lake but also to facilitate journeys between points of interest on land. The canoes were likely not owned by individuals, but rather shared among members of communities and stored at designated points, similar to how modern community bike sharing programs utilize docking stations for users to store bikes between riders.
“The canoes give us insight into a sophisticated travel network and interconnected communities who used their incredible skills and knowledge to live and thrive on lands where we still live and thrive today. They reflect a deep relationship with the environment and the ingenuity of our ancestors,” said Larry Plucinski, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. “Sharing what we learn from this project honors the innovators whose knowledge lives on and inspires new generations to feel pride for their ancestors.”
The canoes could facilitate access to natural resources from the lake like fish—as suggested by the seven net sinkers found with Canoe #1 and three found with Canoe #13—but could also make travel more efficient between communities for trading and to access places of spiritual importance, such as Lake Wingra. The landscape around Madison lakes looked very different before European settlers arrived in the area and conducted terraforming to suit modern transportation, with large bluffs that made traveling over the land difficult in some areas. Canoe travel may have been more efficient for certain routes for the communities who lived in the area spanning thousands of years before Wisconsin became a state.
“Lake Wingra holds deep spiritual significance for the Ho-Chunk people, whose ancestral lands surround its shores,” said Dr. Amy Rosebrough, State Archaeologist for the Wisconsin Historical Society. “One of its springs, with its white clay bottom, is viewed as a portal to the spirit world. For generations, the Ho-Chunk have honored this place through ceremonies of remembrance, guidance and peace, helping spirits journey to the world beyond. This lake is not just a natural feature but a place of profound cultural and spiritual connection.”
“This project gives us a meaningful opportunity to gain a deeper perspective on our heritage and our ancestors. The canoes remind us how long our people have lived in this region and how deeply connected we remain to these waters and lands,” said Bill Quackenbush, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Ho-Chunk Nation. “It is important that we document and share these stories so our youth feel that connection to our past. Protecting and preserving this knowledge ensures that the next generation understands where we come from and why these stories matter. That is why we share them and continue this work.”
Grant Funding
While working theories shed light on the why and how of the Lake Mendota canoes, the Wisconsin Historical Society continues to work in partnership with First Nations in Wisconsin to document the story for future generations while taking steps to ensure the two recovered canoes are preserved and protected from degradation. In September, the Society was awarded a $113,912 grant from the Save America’s Treasures grant program of the National Park Service, Department of Interior, for canoe preservation.
Both recovered canoes have undergone initial steps of a preservation treatment that uses Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) to stabilize the wood. The treatment began in February 2024 and is expected to conclude next year, but the canoes need to be transported from Wisconsin’s State Archive Preservation Facility in Madison to Texas A&M University to undergo a freeze-drying process that finalizes their preservation and leaves the canoes in a stable, solid structure. The grant will support safe transport of the canoes to the freeze-drying facility so the preservation process can be completed.
“The recovery and preservation of the Mendota canoes is a remarkable achievement made possible through the dedication, expertise and strong partnerships between First Nations, archaeologists and preservation specialists,” said Christian Overland, Ruth and Hartley Barker Director & CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. “Thanks to this collaboration, we are excited about the learning opportunities and that one of these incredible canoes will be exhibited in the future Wisconsin History Center, where it will help share the stories of our state’s earliest peoples.”
About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active, and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.
About the Wisconsin History Center
The Wisconsin History Center is a landmark destination opening on Wisconsin’s Capitol Square in late 2027. Designed to connect people of all ages and backgrounds to the state’s past, the five-story, 100,000-square-foot center will serve as a modern cultural hub and gateway to the Wisconsin Historical Society’s world-class collections. The center will feature three permanent galleries, a rotating community gallery, space for traveling exhibits and gathering areas for interactive programs, welcoming students, educators, families, researchers and visitors from all 72 counties and beyond. For more information, click here.
