February 16, 2026
Ancient boats discovered by researchers from the Wisconsin Historical Society, USA, have provided insights into unique boat-building techniques and the life of ancient humans. From 2021 onwards, researchers have been carrying out excavations at Lake Mendota in Wisconsin, USA, revealing 16 boats at the site. Among the boats found recently was a canoe that is believed to be nearly 5,200 years old. According to researchers, some of the boats found were constructed from red oak. However, this material’s swift absorption of water makes it unsuitable for building boats. On conducting further studies, they found that early communities may have used trees with tyloses (growths on tree cells that limit water absorption) to make the boats.
DID YOU KNOW?
The history of canoes goes back thousands of years. The use of these boats for racing in the Olympics began in 1936.
Image for representation purposes
