Madison, WI: 1200 year old dugout canoe found

[Tradd]

My cave/tech diving instructor and friend found this dugout canoe in Lake Mendota in June. Tami was on a fun dive with a friend and found the canoe lying on a slope about 30ft deep.

The canoe C14 tests to 800 AD!

Her day job is as a maritime archaeologist for the state of Wisconsin. If you’ve seen excellent photos of WI shipwrecks in Lake Michigan, she’s probably taken them! Her work getting wrecks on the National Register of Historic Places laid the foundation for Wisconsin’s new NOAA Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

The historical preservation officer from the Ho-Chunk tribe was present. There’s an awesome photo of him on the FB post with his hand on the canoe.

I’m just tickled pink for her.
https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/h...793920db5.html

https://www.jsonline.com/picture-gal...ta/6257240001/

If you’re on FB, photos from the Wisconsin Historical Society (a state agency)

https://www.facebook.com/33006756524...8095060335248/

https://www.wkow.com/news/archaeolog...K-CG9yF4BebllY

[bae]

That is so cool!

[Tybee]

Wow, Tradd, I can't wait to read these. Amazing!!!

[Teacher Terry]

That’s really amazing!

[happystuff]

Wow! Simply amazing! And it looks really good for as old as it is.

[catherine]

That is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[nswef]

That is breathtaking!!!

[iris lilies]

Gosh I never thought about shipwrecks being on the national register of historic places but of course they would qualify. Hard to believe that wooden boat survived all these centuries. The article said it was buried in the sand which kept microbes from destroying it but still.

[Tradd]

Iris, when the Abandoned Shipwrecks Act became federal law in 1987-88, it was up to the states to flesh it out. Basically, you can’t take anything off a historic shipwreck unless you have a permit of some sort or can establish ownership of the wreck. WI established a marine preservation department and they have done a fabulous job. Even better than Michigan. Tami and her coworker and some volunteers will survey the wreck, do photos and video. If it’s too deep, they’ll contract with someone to run an ROV. Pretty much anything deeper than 200ft. Then they will research the vessel in primary sources. They will then write up a nomination for it to be on the WI state historical register as well as the national.

Check out this fabulous website that is Tami’s baby. She took virtually all of the photos.

https://wisconsinshipwrecks.org/

[beckyliz]

Fascinating!