The Chip-a-Canoe Project: Stone Tools, 40 Volunteers, Over 400 Hours of Labor . . . and It Floats!

Summary

This is an abstract from the "What’s Canoe? Recent Research on Dugouts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In 2023, a large group of volunteers engaged in an experimental archaeology project to manufacture a dugout canoe with stone tools. A large tulip poplar was felled with stone axes and the 8,600-pound tree was then transformed with stone axes and adzes into a 1,600-pound, 4 m long dugout. The tree felling and reduction process combined took over 450 hours of labor. Upon completion, the dugout was launched into the Illinois River and manned by several groups, comprised of four volunteers each, for its inaugural float. This process was well documented with numerous paper forms, stopwatches, and video. We provide highlights from this massive undertaking and insights gained on stone tool usage during the production process as well as its performance in the water. After the drying process is complete, it will be on display at the Center for American Archeology in Kampsville, Illinois.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• What’s Canoe? Recent Research on Dugouts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38512.0