Restored dugout canoe found after Hurricane Ian puzzles Florida preservationists

A 9-foot dugout canoe that washed ashore in Fort Myers after Hurricane Ian has been conserved by the Florida Division of Historical Resources, but officials say the object's design and origin remain uncertain.

Preservationists completed conservation work on the watercraft this year after taking custody of it in September 2024. The division described the canoe's form as “highly unusual in Florida” and said research is ongoing to determine its provenance and age; radiocarbon dating has not yet provided a verified date for the vessel.

The canoe was first discovered along the Gulf Coast of Fort Myers in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which in 2022 produced storm surges reported up to 15 feet above ground level in parts of southwest Florida. Division posts on social media say the object appears to be an indigenous-style dugout and that comparisons to similar vessels in the Caribbean suggest a possible connection to that region.

If links to Caribbean craft are confirmed, the division noted, the vessel could be classified as a cayuco, a term used in Hispanic countries for small dugout canoes used for riverine or coastal navigation. The agency warned, however, that such attributions remain tentative until further analysis, including scientific dating and comparative study, is completed.

Florida's archaeological record includes more than 450 documented canoes recovered from roughly 200 sites across the state, the division said. The oldest examples date to the Middle Archaic Period, about 6,000 to 7,000 years ago, while other documented vessels were made by American Indians, European colonists and later settlers. In the Fort Myers area, the division has noted, some of the oldest local canoes are associated with the Calusa and their ancestors.

All waterlogged wooden vessels are extremely fragile after long periods underwater, and conservation specialists said prompt, careful treatment is required to prevent rapid deterioration once they are exposed. The recently conserved canoe underwent stabilization and preservation measures typical for waterlogged archaeological wood, the division said, but officials declined to provide a firm age or cultural attribution pending laboratory tests and comparative research.

The division's social media posts and subsequent statements to news outlets emphasize that the canoe's unusual form distinguishes it from many documented Florida examples and that the team is consulting comparative material from the Caribbean. Researchers plan to use established scientific techniques, including radiocarbon dating when samples are appropriate, to narrow the vessel's age range and possible origin.

The find is part of a growing catalog of wooden watercraft that inform understanding of coastal and riverine travel in the region over millennia. While many ancient canoes recovered in Florida were made and used locally, researchers say that the state's coasts and currents have also facilitated long-distance movement of objects and materials, a factor that will complicate efforts to determine whether this canoe was built in Florida or arrived from elsewhere.

The Florida Division of Historical Resources said it will release additional findings as tests are completed and comparative analyses are concluded. Meanwhile, the conserved canoe is part of an ongoing investigation that blends field archaeology, conservation science and cross-regional comparison to clarify its story and significance.