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Jamestown Revisited
May
marked the 400th anniversary of
the founding of Jamestown, Va.,
the first permanent colony founded
by Europeans in the future United
States to survive. Recent excavations
there have yielded much new information
about the lifestyle of the colonists
and about the actual location of
the Jamestown fort—which had been
lost over the centuries.
Archeologist
William M. Kelso recently discovered
evidence of where the walls of the
fort lay. Interestingly, the fort
was triangular in shape. The timbers
were sunk two and a half feet in
the ground, and the walls protected
an area about 1.75 acres in size.
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Recent
finds from a pit that may be
an
early well inside the 1607 fort
site, including: a Virginia Indian
bone needle, ivory chess pieces,
a 1613 English farthing, Virginia
Indian shell beads, glass trade
beads and
copper baubles used to
decorate
hair and clothing.
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But
as we all know, it wasn’t sunshine
and lollipops every day for the
colonists. At one point, they packed
up all they could carry, buried
the rest, and loaded up to head
home—only to be met by a ship with
fresh supplies and new colonists.
They turned around and eventually
made a success of Jamestown, and
eventually, it became the capital
of Virginia for a while.
Kelso
has found thousands of artifacts
and evidence of buildings, as well
as remains of some of the colonists.
Queen Elizabeth II visited in May
along with President Bush and viewed
the excavations and artifacts. A
recent armor and weapons cache was
a highlight. A broad sword, a rapier
hilt and tasset lames, which is
armor used to protect the thigh,
have been found. Artifacts discovered
include two ivory chess pieces,
glass trade beads, iron objects
and pottery sherds. Indian artifacts
unearthed include a grinding stone,
a bone needle and shell beads.
A
six-week summer field school archaeological
dig begins June 7, and hopes are
high that the location of the church
will be found. An undisturbed area
by the graveyard is the likely spot.
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Mary Anna
Richardson (l.) and Luke
Pecoraro carefully excavate a potential
cache
of arms and armor that so
far has
yielded a broad sword with
a basket
hilt, tasset lames, and
a rapier hilt.
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The
Jamestown Fort site was found in
1996, not near the river as was
earlier supposed. Since then, more
than one million artifacts and the
remains of 70 colonists have been
discovered.
Jamestown
is located on the James River about
45 miles southeast of Richmond.
Historic Jamestown is open daily
to the public which can explore
exhibits in the new visitor center
and experience a new multi-media
orientation film in the immersion
theater. On site, visitors can share
the moment of discovery with archaeologists,
see artifacts in the Archaearium
exhibition facility, tour the original
17th-century church tower and reconstructed
17th-century Jamestown Memorial
Church, take a walking tour with
a park ranger through the original
settlement along the scenic James
River, and watch costumed glassblowers
at the Glasshouse. Driving tours
explore the lush natural setting
where visitors regularly see bald
eagles, heron, osprey, deer and
other wildlife. Located at the western
end of the Colonial Parkway near
Williamsburg, admission is regularly
$10; youth 15 and under are admitted
free. For information, call 757-229-1733
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