Researchers made an extraordinary discovery at the bottom of Lake Mendota.Image: www.imago-images.de
In the US state of Wisconsin, several canoes have been discovered at the bottom of a lake, some of which are older than the pyramids of Giza. Researchers are thrilled and the discovery could also be a stroke of luck for the Ho-Chunk Nation.
February 27, 2026, 1:12 p.mFebruary 27, 2026, 1:12 p.m
Lukas Armbrust / watson.de
In winter, Lake Mendota in the US state of Wisconsin often freezes over completely. Then a single, thick layer of ice forms. During the summer months, however, numerous sailing boats can be seen on the water; some people use stand-up paddleboards, others get in a kayak or canoe.
The latter mode of transportation probably has a longer history than many people would assume. At the bottom of Lake Mendota, scientists have found a number of canoes that are impressively old.
Thousands of years old find
“We thought it would be – if we were exceptionally lucky – maybe 300 years old,” says archaeologist Amy L. Rosebrough of the moment she was informed of the discovery of a canoe in 2021. In the end it turned out that it was around 1200 years old. “Everyone was completely stunned,” Rosebrough remembers. This canoe was by no means the oldest.
The researchers found ancient canoes at the bottom of the lake. Here is the first find of 2021.Image: www.imago-images.de
To date, 15 additional canoes have been discovered. Using radiocarbon dating, the scientists were able to determine the age of the boats. The youngest is therefore 700 years old, the oldest 5200 years old.
According to the BBC, this means that the indigenous inhabitants of America were already on Lake Mendota 4,000 years before the arrival of the first Europeans – and 400 years before the first pyramids were built in Egypt. The finds thus provide exceptionally early evidence of indigenous history in North America.
Indigenous community tries to revive old traditions
The ancient canoes also help the Ho-Chunk Nation understand their own history. The indigenous group is believed to have made its home in the Lake Mendota region from around 500 to 1200 AD.
The tradition of building dugout canoes has been lost within the tribe, explains Bill Quackenbush BBC according to. Many Ho-Chunk were displaced from the Great Lakes region and forced to abandon their cultural customs. Quackenbush is the Ho-Chunk Nation’s Historic Preservation Officer and Director of Cultural Resources.
Since the discovery of the ancient canoes, the community has been trying to revive old traditions. Among other things, a canoe tour is organized along the indigenous group’s historic waterways.
Such events are intended to both promote cultural healing within the nation and stimulate broader public interest in the history of the Ho-Chunk. Quackenbush explains: “We still have aspects of our culture and we long to regain what we have lost.”