Ancient Sea-Going Canoe Found in Florida Muck
5 May
The only prehistoric sea-going canoe ever found in Florida continues to rest in the muck of Weedon Island near St. Petersburg, as it has for a long, long time.
According to THIS Suncoast News story, the buried relic was once a 45-foot-long canoe that allowed the local Native American culture that carved the boat to ply the coastal waters of what is now Florida and trade with adjacent peoples.
The Lakeland Ledger also has THIS story on the find.
The dugout canoe, which is missing its stern but still measures 39 feet, 11 inches, is the longest ever found in Florida. It was carved from a single pine tree some 1,100 years ago.
Researchers, who had known about the canoe for seven years, only recently examined, measured, and took radio-carbon dating samples of the find. They left the vessel buried in place due to the difficultly of preserving such a large relic.
You can find out more about the prehistoric cultures in the St. Petersburg area from the Weedon Island Preserve website, HERE.
