Wisconsin Archeological Society-Charles E. Brown Chapter

press release: The Charles E. Brown Chapter of the Wisconsin Archaeological Society Presents:   What’s Canoe with Us? An Update on the Wisconsin Dugout Canoe Survey

Dr. Sissel Schroeder, UW-Madison

Join the C. E. Brown chapter of the Wisconsin Archaeological Society for all your latest ancient canoe news. On January 12, Dr. Sissel Schroeder will discuss the progress of the Dugout Canoe Survey, undertaken with the help of Wisconsin Historical Society archaeologist Tamara Thomsen and others. When this project began in 2018, the Wisconsin Historical Society knew of 11 dugout canoes in the state. As a result of intensive efforts to contact local museums and historical societies across the state, and through diving expeditions, the Dugout Canoe Survey has identified and documented more than 40 curated dugouts from around Wisconsin. Come hear the preliminary results of the survey, including analyses of canoe size, style, raw material, and age, and how dugouts differ or are similar through time and across space. The Dugout Canoe Survey's efforts to document the dugouts include photogrammetry and handheld LiDAR to construct 3D models of the canoes. Together with the quantitative and qualitative data on each dugout, the results of this project will enhance the accessibility of these uncommon objects for scholars and the public, raise awareness of the importance of curating even fragmentary wooden canoes, and enhance our understanding of construction technology and use of dugout canoes.