The well-preserved stern of one of   the canoes resembles an old-   fashioned bath tub. Note the charring   inside the canoe.

    The Newnan's Lake canoes are similar in shape and construction to other prehistoric canoes known from Florida. Each canoe is hewn from one tree trunk, using stone or shell tools, as well as fire charring to remove the bulk of the wood from the center of the tree trunk. These construction techniques were still being used when the French and Spanish arrived in the Southeast in the sixteenth century. The sizes of the canoes at Newnan's Lake range considerably, with the shortest at 4.57 meters (15 feet) and the longest at over 9.5 meters (31 feet). One interesting feature found on many of the Newnan's Lake canoes is a "thwart" or bulkhead, creating a partition between sections of the boat. These were often present in the stern and/or center of the canoes. This feature has been noted on other canoes from Florida, but was fairly uncommon. In general, the ends of the canoes were blunted or slightly rounded, though some had distinctive overhanging platforms.

    The Newnan's Lake canoes may have been associated with a large village site located along the northern shore of the lake. Some artifacts associated with this village were found, and suggest that the area was occupied from around 3000 years ago up until at least 1000 years ago. The canoes, many of which were broken and degraded, probably represent those boats abandoned along the shoreline adjacent to the village. Because the boats were often in poor

Theodore de Bry's engraving, after    a drawing by John White, illustrating    canoe building by Virginian Natives,    accompanied Thomas Hariot's A    Brief and True Report of the New    Found Land of Virginia.

    The Newnan's Lake canoes are an exciting archaeological discovery, and analysis of the data collected will provide a better understanding of the construction and use of prehistoric canoes in Florida. In March, 2001, the outstanding significance of the site was officially recognized by its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.