The Mounds Dugout Canoe

Adena canoes were typically made from tulip poplar, a tree known for its straight, unbranching trunk, though this replica canoe was made from a red oak trunk. It was constructed by park volunteers using 2000-year-old Adena methods, with the trunk interior removed by fire and the charred wood and ashes scraped out using mussel shells from the White River and stone tools. Repeated fires hollowed the canoe to a sufficient depth, and the sides were coated with mud to prevent them from burning. The Adena, who built the mounds at Mounds State Park, also maintained extensive trade routes along the White River, and canoes were important for travel and trade. This method of canoe making was also used by other Native Americans in more recent times.

Indiana · United States