Members of Fort Fisher State Historic Site staff assisted the N.C. Underwater Archeology team and members of the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe in loading up a 940-year-old canoe that was found nearly intact at Lake Waccamaw.
To make dugout canoes, American Indians would roll large logs into the lake to identify the heaviest side. That heavy side, which would sink below the water, became the bottom of the canoe. The rest of the tree was carefully dug out and burned away. The scorch marks are still visible on the artifact. The canoe was left secured in the lake to prevent decay until it could be recovered and safely preserved.
This canoe will temporarily be with the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe before being transported to its final destination at The Museum of the Southeast American Indian for their exhibit hall.
