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A second canoe can now be viewed at the Oconee Heritage Center . It joins the canoe found in the Chattooga River in 2002 in a preservation process and eventual exhibits at the museum.
This canoe, found in the Keowee River, was discovered by three young boys. David and Brandon Kwietniewski and their friend, Andrew Sauls, found the canoe while swimming in the river in early July. Their neighbors, Mike and Diana Stafford, having read about the Chattooga Canoe a few years earlier, made sure that the canoe remained in the water-- knowing that keeping the wood wet would help to preserve the artifact. Eventually, they called the Army Corps of Engineers in an effort to figure out the next step.
With a conjoined effort between the Pickens County Museum of Art and History, the Army Corps of Engineers, the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA) and the Oconee Heritage Center, it was determined last week that the canoe would be moved to the Oconee Heritage Center alongside the Chattooga Canoe for preservation and exhibition.
In 2004, the OHC was established as a satellite lab for the SCIAA. Thus, other underwater artifacts in need of preservation may be brought to the museum. The OHC was recognized in 2006 by the Office of the SC State Archaeologist for their work in preserving the Chattooga Canoe.
The Keowee Canoe, like the Chattooga Canoe, is owned by the State of South Carolina. State Archaeologist, Jon Leader, and State Underwater Archaeologist and Head, Maritime Research Division, Chris Amer, visited the river last week and determined that the canoe was a good candidate for a preservation process similar to the Chattooga Canoe.
Within 24 hours of receiving the “go-ahead,” volunteers at the Oconee Heritage Center, many of whom helped four years ago with the Chattooga Canoe, had successfully relocated the Keowee Canoe to a preservation tank in Walhalla. This second tank was prepared by Richard Gambrell along with Patsy and Barry Earnhardt which will house the canoe in water until polyethylene glycol can begin to preserve the wood. The same cradle built in 2004 by Kent Wigington was again used to transport this canoe and Wilmington personally came out to transport the wet artifact to its new resting place. Buzz Williams, of the Chattooga Conservancy, also stepped up to assist with this canoe. Williams headed up the efforts back in 2004 to relocate the Chattooga Canoe to the Oconee Heritage Center.
The Keowee Canoe measures approximately 21 feet in length, over 2 feet wide and has an overall height of 16 inches. According to Chris Amer, this canoe is only approximately half of its original length. At this time, very little is known about the history of the canoe including age and who may have constructed it. The immediate concern was for the safety of the canoe. With the current drought conditions, the surrounding waters were quickly receding from around the canoe, which needed to stay wet. Now that the canoe is safely housed at the museum, archaeologist will be able to take a closer look at the wood and hopefully be able to determine an approximate age and possible provenance of the artifact.
The Keowee Canoe is in the process of soaking in Polyethylene Glycol in order to preserve the wood and eventually dry out. As for the Chattooga Canoe, it has been determined that it is ready to begin drying out after nearly four and a half years of soaking in its tank.
Both canoes are available for public viewing during regular open hours of the OHC: Tues, Thurs, Fri (Noon – 5pm) and Saturday (10am – 3pm).
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