Archaeologists Discover 5,200-Year-Old Canoe in Wisconsin Lake

The waters of Lake Mendota continue to produce prehistoric discoveries that shed light on the activities of indigenous people in the Great Lakes region.

Archaeologists with the Wisconsin Historical Society have discovered 16 prehistoric canoes submerged in the lake, which is located in Madison, Wisconsin, the state Capitol.

The oldest canoe is around 5,200 years old. The most recent is about 700 years old, a November 19 release from the Society says.

"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," the release notes. "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."

• In 2021, archaeologists found a 1,200-year-old "dugout canoe" in the lake.
• The following year, they found another "ancient canoe" submerged at the site, which was "the oldest dugout canoe originating from the Great Lakes region at the time of recovery at 3,000 years old."
• The Historical Society announced on November 19, 2025, that archaeologists have now found another 14 ancient canoes "still submerged in the lakebed."

Archaeologists Are Mapping the Location of the Historic Canoes, Which Were Grouped Together

This piece of wood found at the bottom of Lake Mendota might not look like much. But it's believed to be a 5,200-year-old dugout canoe. It's one of 6 found in the lake in June.

Read more: https://t.co/aOHCdQTXhI pic.twitter.com/U4xRQzIsKO

— Wisconsin State Journal (@WiStateJournal) November 19, 2025

Archaeologists have mapped the locations of the 16 canoes, identifying the "wood types and probable ages...of the ancient watercraft."

"Historians are investigating the history behind the underwater site to help preserve and share the story with future generations," the society wrote in a news release.

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," the news release says.

A 15-foot-long dugout canoe discovered last fall in Wisconsin's Lake Mendota has been scanned with high-tech tools and dated to around 1,200 years ago.#drthehistories pic.twitter.com/dleiswpSAZ

— Dr. M.F. Khan (@Dr_TheHistories) August 4, 2024

“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 Thomsen said in the release. “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.”

The Archaeologists Have Identified the Wood Used to Make the Canoes

The archaeologists determined that, of the 16 canoes:

• Half were made of red or white oak.
• Oak was likely chosen because of structures inside the wood that protect it from decay.

The archaeologists believe the canoes are located in "two distinct groupways," so they mapped them against the trailways used by indigenous communities.

"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 release says.

“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, in the release. “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 scientists also found "net sinkers" in some of the canoes.

"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," the release says. "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, in the release. “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.”