Since 2021, researchers from the Wisconsin Historical Society have been uncovering an incredible collection of ancient canoes submerged at the bottom of Lake Mendota, shedding light on centuries of Native American history. This remarkable discovery includes up to 11 canoes, with the oldest dugout estimated to be around 4,500 years old, providing valuable insight into the lives of ancient Indigenous peoples in North America. The finding adds to a series of significant archaeological recoveries at Lake Mendota.

Between 2021 and 2022, archaeologists retrieved two canoes dating back approximately 1,200 years and 3,000 years. However, the 4,500-year-old canoe stands as the oldest of its kind ever found in the Great Lakes region. Lake Mendota, located in Madison, Wisconsin, is the city’s largest lake. In 2021, maritime archaeologists from the Wisconsin Historical Society began exploring its depths to uncover possible ancient artifacts. Their first success was discovering a single dugout canoe believed to be about 1,200 years old. The following year, they uncovered another similar wooden canoe, this time estimated to be around 3,000 years old, which then held the record for the oldest canoe in the region. Motivated by these finds, the archaeologists partnered with Native Nations in Wisconsin to conduct further diving expeditions.

State archaeologist Amy Rosebrough told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that it became apparent they weren’t dealing with just one or two canoes but rather an entire group of vessels, likely from different time periods. Recently, the Wisconsin Historical Society announced that fragments of as many as nine additional canoes have been identified, with the oldest made from elm wood and dating back roughly 4,500 years. The collection spans millennia, with wooden fragments ranging from around 2500 B.C.E. to 1250 C.E., the latter carved from red oak and nearly 800 years old. This impressive timeline confirms long-held theories that ancient Native peoples traveled extensively throughout the region using dugout canoes, especially during the Late Archaic period. Researchers believe the canoes’ owners intentionally sank them in shallow waters near the shore during the autumn months to preserve the wood through the winter. Each spring, the canoes would be retrieved and used again.

Over time, natural changes in the shoreline caused by droughts, floods, and sediment buildup gradually buried the canoes beneath the lakebed, preserving them until modern-day rediscovery. Despite these exciting answers, the discoveries also raise new questions. Rosebrough expressed curiosity about whether there could be even more canoes hidden around the perimeter of Lake Mendota, asking, “Is there a bathtub ring of canoes all the way around Lake Mendota? And that’s just one lake.” The oldest canoe offers particularly fascinating insight into the Late Archaic period, a time roughly 2,000 years before farming was introduced, well before gardening or the construction of burial mounds. While canoe use clearly continued into farming eras, it is striking that this practice dates back to times when such developments were still far in the future. These canoes were found in what is considered the ancestral territory of the Ho-Chunk Nation. Although the specific identities of the people who made the canoes are lost to time—Rosebrough noted they lived “so far back in time that we would be at a complete loss of what they called themselves”—the artifacts tell the story of those who have lived in the region for thousands of years, regardless of what names they used.

Among the canoes, two date from the Middle Woodland period, an era marked by the beginnings of farming, pottery, and burial mounds, with more permanent settlements and trade routes. Several others come from the Late Woodland period, when corn farming and effigy mounds were more widespread. The most recent canoe belongs to the Oneota period, known for established farming communities and complex societies. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has helped researchers map the lake floor and study the canoes without disturbing their fragile remains. Bill Quackenbush, historic preservation officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation, emphasized the significance of physically seeing the canoes, as they represent a tangible connection to the oral traditions passed down through generations. The first two recovered canoes will be sent to Texas A&M University for freeze-drying and will eventually be displayed at the Wisconsin History Center, slated to open in 2027. More fragile fragments will remain underwater to preserve their condition while researchers continue exploration, including plans to use sonar boats to map more of the lake. These discoveries allow people to connect more deeply with the region’s ancient past. As Rosebrough explained, showing someone a 5,000-year-old spearpoint might not resonate as much as a canoe, a familiar object that helps people imagine the lives of those who built and used it. In this way, the canoes bridge thousands of years, revealing the enduring presence and ingenuity of Native peoples in the Great Lakes area, a legacy that continues to inspire and educate today.