Friends, colleagues remember Wisconsin state archaeologist who died after training dive

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's state archaeologist died after being found unresponsive during a training dive in a Madison lake last Friday, authorities confirmed.

Rescuers pulled 63-year-old Dr. James 'Jim' Skibo from Lake Mendota early Friday morning, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

Wisconsin Historical Society Director and CEO Christian Overland said Skibo was with two other divers training for the upcoming season. The Dane County Medical Examiner's Office said the cause of death is still under investigation.

Overland told CBS 58 News in an interview Wednesday described Dr. Skibo as "an explorer, an imaginative thinker and someone who was very passionate about the work that he did."

Dr. Joan Brehm, the Department Chair and Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Illinois State University said she saw Dr. Skibo as a mentor.

"He was a very down to earth and humble person," she said. "He truly was cutting edge in the work that he was doing globally on archaeology."

Dr. Brehm took over the role as department chair when Skibo retired in 2018, after having been there for more than 20 years and being named distinguished professor.

Marc Bulandr told CBS 58 that he also knew Dr. Skibo from his days at Illinois State University, when he served on the Foundation Board of Directors.

"He was among the most engaged chairs that left the department and fundraising efforts in a better place," Bulandr said. "He always had a smile on his face and was someone that had a personality that others wanted to be around; his students adored him and was both a scholar and tremendous professor."

Skibo was named state archaeologist in 2021. He recovered a 1,200-year-old canoe in Lake Mendota in June 2021 and a 3,000-year-old canoe in the same lake this past September.

"(He) helped us really think about how history could help people build a better future and who we are in history," added Overland.

Dr. Brehm shared that she had visited him just last year in Madison.

"The excitement over the discoveries of the canoes in Lake Mendota was palpable," she said. "You could just feel the energy, his enthusiasm for helping people understand the past and how it informs our present and our future was something that I so admired about him."

The Wisconsin Historical Society said on its Facebook page that Skibo was looking forward to more dives in Lake Mendota this spring to continuing exploring the canoe sites.

Skibo authored and edited 11 books and reviewed dozens of articles on pottery and the archaeology of the Great Lakes.

"He was a mentor but also a great learner," Overland said. "And what I mean by a great learner is that he was an explorer. He was always thinking about what people could learn from history, not just reading it in books but bringing it to people."