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45-Foot Ancient Canoe Stuck In Muck Of Weedon Island (Tampa Bay)
MSNBC - Tampa Tribune ^ | 5-5-2008 | KEITH MORELLI

Posted on 05/06/2008 10:48:16 AM PDT by blam

45-Foot Ancient Canoe Stuck In The Muck Of Weedon Island

Tampa Bay Online
updated 3:10 p.m. CT, Mon., May. 5, 2008
By KEITH MORELLI of The Tampa Tribune

ST. PETERSBURG - Stuck somewhere in the muck of Weedon Island is a significant piece of history.

A 45-foot canoe, buried for more than a thousand years and used by a long-dead culture of Native Americans, worked its way to the surface, and now authorities are trying to figure out how best to preserve it.

The vessel is carved out of a single pine tree, and archaeologists say it was used to paddle over the open waters of the bay — unlike the other ancient canoes uncovered in Florida over the years, which were used to ply the calmer waters of lakes and rivers.

With the back end of the canoe broken off, it measures 39 feet, 11 inches. If the missing piece was attached, archaeologists estimate 5 more feet would be added to the length. The size of the vessel and configuration of the bow leads archaeologists to think the vessel may have been used to trade with people living some distance away.

"It's the longest prehistoric canoe ever found in the state of Florida," said Weedon Island Preserve Center manager Phyllis Kolianos.

"I think it's fascinating," she said this morning. "I think it's a very important find, and it's very significant. It gives us an understanding that these weren't simple people living here, that they were probably trading with other cultures."

The dugout is the first pre-Columbian seagoing vessel uncovered in Florida. It points to a culture that thrived in what would become the Tampa Bay area and traded with others along the Gulf of Mexico coast and beyond. The influence of the Weedon Island culture

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ancient; canoe; florida; godsgravesglyphs; indians
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To: blam

Tampa Bay area must have been a paradise back in their day.


41 posted on 05/06/2008 12:19:36 PM PDT by Rebelbase (Carbon is the fifth most abundant element on the planet.)
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To: weegee

That’s what the fellow that had 300 cats in his freezers was keeping them for, waiting for his Euell Gibbons Cook Book.


42 posted on 05/06/2008 12:20:16 PM PDT by count-your-change (you don't have to be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
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To: Beagle8U

probably southern yellow pinw


43 posted on 05/06/2008 12:25:08 PM PDT by Soliton
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To: ClearCase_guy
archaeologists say it was used to paddle over the open waters of the bay

...or it wasn't sea worthy and plunged into the muck minutes after hitting the water. Experts have not ruled out the possibility of it striking an iceberg that drifted south. A result of global warming.

44 posted on 05/06/2008 12:42:33 PM PDT by kaboom
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To: Soliton
Southern yellow pine = lob-lolly pine. Once dried it is so hard a cat couldn't scratch it.
45 posted on 05/06/2008 1:15:19 PM PDT by Beagle8U (FreeRepublic -- One stop shopping ....... Its the Conservative Super WalMart for news .)
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To: Arguendo

All cultures were simple at their beginnings, even yours.


46 posted on 05/06/2008 1:16:40 PM PDT by fish hawk (The religion of Darwinism is dying. Thank God!)
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To: fish hawk
Of course. I'm not saying it's a bad thing.

You don't need to take this personally. It's not an insult, so I don't know why you're making a big deal about it.

47 posted on 05/06/2008 1:52:00 PM PDT by Arguendo
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To: blam; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 3AngelaD; 49th; ...

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic ·

 
Gods
Graves
Glyphs
Thanks Blam. Just stay off the track of Hattie's shack in the back of the black bayou.

Oops. Wrong state.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
GGG managers are Blam, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
 

· Google · Archaeologica · ArchaeoBlog · Archaeology magazine · Biblical Archaeology Society ·
· Mirabilis · Texas AM Anthropology News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo ·
· History or Science & Nature Podcasts · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·


48 posted on 05/06/2008 10:17:52 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_______________________Profile updated Monday, April 28, 2008)
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To: Ditto; Red Badger
You ever try to hollow out a 50 foot tree?........

with stone tools no less!

Trained beavers. They do the rough work, then the guys with the stone tools do the finishing.

I saw it done on a Looney Tunes documentary.

49 posted on 05/06/2008 11:36:33 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (The Great Obamanation of Desolation, attempting to sit in the Oval Office, where he ought not..)
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To: blam
Dammit, why do we Freepers always have to think of all of the solutions to the word's problems?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GBU-43_Massive_Ordnance_Air_Blast_bomb

If the damn thing was so great then why did it sink?

50 posted on 05/06/2008 11:42:26 PM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult (The man who said "there's no such thing as a stupid question" has never talked to Helen Thomas.)
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To: ApplegateRanch
I saw it done on a Looney Tunes documentary.

I have also learned so much from them over the years. ;~))

51 posted on 05/07/2008 7:29:17 AM PDT by Ditto (Global Warming: The 21st Century's Snake Oil)
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To: ClearCase_guy

The canoe is estimated to be only 1,100 years old. When compare to the accomplishments of the Romans, Greeks, Egyptian, Mayans and Chinese (to name just a few) cultures, then I would 100% agree with your classification of “simple”. It’s a 40’ canoe not a 4,000 mile wall or 150 yard tall pyramid.


52 posted on 05/07/2008 7:48:46 AM PDT by A Texan (Oderint dum metuant)
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To: fish hawk
My tribe built Longships and traveled up and down the coasts and rivers looking for silver, slaves, and new lands to settle. They also used what nature had to offer.


53 posted on 05/07/2008 6:22:13 PM PDT by Sawdring
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To: Sawdring

And a hardy bunch they were. They didn’t invent plundering and rape but they perfected it. LOL


54 posted on 05/07/2008 7:22:58 PM PDT by fish hawk (The religion of Darwinism is dying. Thank God!)
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