1,000-Year-Old Dugout Canoe Discovered in Wisconsin's Pewaukee Lake by Volunteer Diver
On May 6, a volunteer dive for trash removal in Pewaukee Lake led to the discovery of a submerged dugout canoe by Mark Schachtner, 45, from the 4 Seasons Scuba Diving Club. Located at a depth of 15 feet, the canoe was subsequently analyzed by maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen. In August, radiocarbon dating revealed that the canoe, constructed from white oak, dates back to between 992 and 1049 C.E., corresponding to the Late Woodland Period. With dimensions of 17.3 feet in length and 1.8 feet in width, it remains in good condition. The Wisconsin Historical Society is collaborating with tribal preservation officers Larry Plucinski and Bill Quackenbush to ensure its protection, as state law prohibits its removal or damage. Plucinski suspects that additional canoes may exist in other lakes.
Key facts
- Mark Schachtner discovered the canoe on May 6 during a volunteer trash cleanup dive in Pewaukee Lake, Wisconsin.
- The canoe is approximately 1,000 years old, made from white oak, and dates to between 992 and 1049 C.E.
- It measures 17.3 feet long, 1.8 feet wide, with 2.5-inch-thick walls and a 4.8-inch-thick bottom.
- The vessel is the first dugout canoe found in Pewaukee Lake, a 2,437-acre spring-fed lake in Waukesha County.
- Radiocarbon dating and wood identification tests were completed in August.
- The canoe is in good condition and partially filled with sediment, which may have helped preserve it.
- It will remain submerged in the lake per the wishes of Wisconsin's Indigenous nations, with its location kept private.
- State law prohibits removing, defacing, displacing, or destroying the vessel.
Entities
Artists
- Mark Schachtner
- Tamara Thomsen
- Larry Plucinski
- Bill Quackenbush
- Sissel Schroeder
- Jon Greendeer
- Barry Adams
- Caitlin Looby
- Danielle Kaeding
- Sarah Kuta
Institutions
- Wisconsin Historical Society
- 4 Seasons Scuba Diving Club
- Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
- Ho-Chunk Nation
- Wisconsin Dugout Canoe Survey Project
- University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Wisconsin State Journal
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Wisconsin Public Radio
- Smithsonian Magazine
Locations
- Pewaukee Lake
- Wisconsin
- United States
- Waukesha County
- Milwaukee
- Lake Mendota
- Madison
- Aztalan State Park
- Longmont
- Colorado