Mark Schachtner, 45, was taking part in a volunteer litter clean-up in Pewaukee Lake, Wisconsin, when he spotted a long object on the bottom and realised it was a canoe. He contacted maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen, of the Wisconsin Historical Society, and five days later the pair returned to the site to measure, photograph and take a small wood sample.
The vessel, in good condition, lies about 4.5 metres deep and is 5.3 metres long. Analysis revealed that it was made of white oak, and radiocarbon dating indicates, with 70% probability, that it was built between 992 and 1049.
Its Indigenous builders are thought to have hollowed out the trunk by hand, possibly with shells or stone tools, before shaping it with fire. A thousand years ago the spot would have been near the shore, where the canoe was probably left deliberately for future use, as such vessels were seen as community property.
In keeping with the wishes of Wisconsin’s Indigenous nations, the canoe will remain underwater, where it has the best conditions for preservation, and its exact location will not be disclosed. Experts believe many other lakes in the state may hide similar finds.
