Archeologists keep unearthing (un-watering?) canoes from the lakes of Madison, WI. This newest find dates back 3,000 years, over twice the age of the previous canoe.

These vessels were from the Ho-Chunk who are known to have used dugout canoes to travel throughout the region.

Via the Guardian:

A 3,000-year-old canoe has been found in Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, less than a year after another historical canoe dating back more than a millennium was discovered in the same body of water.

An archaeologist found the artifact in pieces before it was recovered from the lake last Thursday in collaboration with Wisconsin’s Native Nations, a press release from the Wisconsin Historical Society said.

And from WKOW.COM:

“It holds a little, if any sacred value, but holds a vast amount of practical value and the ability for it to assure that you know, our oral history, it remains accurate,” Quackenbush said.

The vessel had to be carefully maneuvered while being brought to shore. After, it was loaded onto a truck and taken to Wisconsin’s Archival Preservation Facility — a large, secure warehouse on Madison’s east side.

“It stores millions of objects, 400,000 archaeological records, and many many other things from the history of Wisconsin,” State Archaeologist Dr. James Skibo said.

Learn more about the Ho-Chunk From the Milwaukee Public Museum and from Ho-Chunk Nation