Aerial view of boats in Ocala, FL – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Catherine Cornish
According to experts, a dugout boat that surfaced on Florida’s Gulf Coast following Hurricane Ian might not have originated in North America.
According to the Florida Division of Historical Resources, it is common practice to associate ancient dugouts discovered in southern Florida with Miccosukee, Seminole, or Calusa ancestors.
However, this boat is not like the hundreds of others that are found in Florida’s lakes and rivers.
In a Facebook post on September 12, the division stated, “Research is still ongoing to determine the canoe’s origin and its form is highly unusual in Florida.”
It might have ties to the Caribbean, according to comparisons with other vessels of a similar type there. This canoe might be a cayuco, a name used in Hispanic countries to describe a tiny dugout canoe that is usually employed for riverine or coastal navigation, if this is confirmed.
The canoe’s restoration work was recently finished by state archaeologists, although they have not yet determined its approximate age.
Following Hurricane Ian in 2022, the canoe was found in Fort Myers. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm caused “catastrophic storm surge along the southwest coast of Florida,” with Fort Myers Beach experiencing flooding levels of 10 to 15 feet above ground.
Before a bystander informed state authorities, archaeologists think the surge “washed” the boat from a Fort Myers riverbed.
According to officials, the canoe is around nine feet long and is constructed from a single tree trunk.
Although “prehistoric canoes” have been discovered around the eastern United States, the majority have been recovered in Florida, according to state officials.
In Florida, there have been reports of 450 canoes or log boats at more than 200 locations. According to the divide, some places have a lot of canoes near each other, while others have groupings of canoes.
“Canoes from a variety of time periods, including those built by American Indians, Europeans, and American settlers, are known to exist, but the oldest date to the Middle Archaic Period, approximately 6,000 to 7,000 years ago.”
Because they have been submerged for centuries, the canoes are frequently “extremely fragile” and will quickly decay if not protected, according to experts.
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Mike has more than 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He once owned his own agency and has worked with some of the largest brands in the world.
