Jamestown Rediscovery facts for kids

Douglas Owsley (left) and Danny Schmidt examining the possible remains of Captain Bartholomew Gosnold (left)

The Jamestown Rediscovery project is like a real-life treasure hunt! It's an exciting archaeological effort by Preservation Virginia. Their mission is to explore and uncover the hidden remains of the very first permanent English settlement in North America. This historic town, called Jamestown, was founded in the Virginia Colony on May 14, 1607.

In 1994, a skilled archaeologist named William Kelso began leading excavations at Historic Jamestown on Jamestown Island. Just two years later, in 1996, his team made an incredible discovery. They found the actual foundations of the 1607 James Fort! For a long time, people thought this fort had been lost to the waters of the James River. This project was originally planned for ten years. However, because so many amazing artifacts and so much knowledge have been found, it has continued ever since.

Uncovering Jamestown's Past

In 1994, Preservation Virginia decided to fund a special 10-year archaeology project. They named it Jamestown Rediscovery. The main goal was to find the remains of the first years of the Jamestown settlement. They especially wanted to find the earliest fortified town and learn how it grew.

Work began on April 4, 1994, near the old church. Archaeologists quickly found many early colonial artifacts. By 1996, they successfully located parts of the strong wooden fence, called a palisade, that surrounded the original 1607 James Fort. The governor of Virginia announced this exciting discovery on September 12.

Later digs showed that only one small corner of the first triangular fort was ever lost. In 2006, the first well found in a cellar at the site was carefully dug out. In 2007, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Queen Elizabeth II visited the site again. She had first visited in 1957.

In 2010, archaeologists found the exact spot where the second church in Jamestown was built. In May 2013, working with the Smithsonian Institution, the project announced a significant discovery. They found the remains of a young English woman. Her bones showed signs of extreme hardship during the "starving time" winter of 1609–1610. This period was incredibly difficult for the colonists. In July 2015, the team identified the remains of four important leaders of the colony. Since late 2016, the focus of the research has moved to the Memorial Church.

What We've Learned from Jamestown

Since it began, the Jamestown Rediscovery project has made many important discoveries. Archaeologists have uncovered much of the fort itself. They also found the remains of several houses, wells, and a palisade wall connected to the fort. They even found the graves of some of the first settlers.

Today, visitors can explore the site of James Fort. They can see the 17th-century church tower and the area where the old town once stood. There's also an archaeological museum called the Archaearium. Here, you can see many of the amazing artifacts that have been found.

Ongoing excavations have revealed clues about the "Starving Time" winter of 1609-1610. This was a period of extreme hunger and difficulty for the colonists. They also found evidence of the survivors arriving from the Bermuda shipwreck, the Sea Venture. So far, close to 1.5 million artifacts have been uncovered! Many colonial buildings have been identified. These include temporary shelters for soldiers, row houses, wells, the storehouse, and the church built in 1608. The original 10-year project has continued for much longer because there's still so much to discover. Visitors today can often watch archaeologists at work. They continue to unearth buildings and artifacts near the James Fort site and Jamestown Church.

Several discoveries made by the archaeology teams have been named among the top 10 archaeology finds of various years by Archaeology magazine. For example, in 2013, they found evidence that colonists faced desperate conditions during the "starving time." In 2010, they discovered the remains of the first church built inside James Fort. Then, in 2015, four graves within this church were found to belong to important Jamestown settlers.

Solving a Historical Mystery

This 1958 map shows where people thought the fort was (supposed) and where it actually was found.

The Jamestown Rediscovery project has corrected a long-held historical belief. For many years, people thought that the site of the original 1607 Jamestown settlement had been washed away. They believed the James River had eroded the land over time. However, the archaeologists, including William Kelso, Beverly (Bly) Straube, and Nick Luccketti, proved this wrong.

They used old maps and writings from the past to guess where the fort might be. These sources included a map made by a Spanish spy named Zuniga. They also used accounts from original colonists like William Strachey, Captain Ralph Hamor, and John Smith.

After carefully studying these sources, the archaeologists found the postholes of the original fort. These are discolorations in the soil left by the wooden posts that once formed the fort's walls. As they dug more, they confirmed that the Jamestown Fort had not washed into the river. Instead, it had been accidentally covered by a large dirt wall built by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. During these excavations, the team found evidence of fort buildings, many artifacts, and the remains of settlers.

Treasures from the Past

So far, the project has found more than two million artifacts! Many of these are from the very first years of the settlement. Finding a well inside the Jamestown fort was very important. Not just for understanding how colonists got water, but because of all the items found inside it.

Wells that no longer provided good drinking water were often filled with daily trash. This gave archaeologists a unique chance to find a concentrated collection of artifacts, layered over time.

Items like tobacco pipes, pieces of pottery, and parts of combat armor all help date the excavation site to the early 17th century. This strongly supports the idea that they found the actual fort. The curator, Beverly Straube, even found evidence about the professional skills of the original settlers. There were Goldsmiths, bricklayers, masons, perfumers, tailors, fishermen, coopers, blacksmiths, glassmakers, carpenters, and tobacco pipe makers. All these jobs are shown through the archaeological finds.

Meeting Jamestown's People

The Jamestown Rediscovery project has carefully recovered and studied the remains of many original Jamestown settlers. For example, one of the first human skeletons found was a man of high status, about 19-20 years old. He died from a musket shot to his lower right leg. This injury shattered the bones and likely caused a quick death. Experts at the Smithsonian examined the skeleton. They even reconstructed his skull to show what he might have looked like.

Later, among the discoveries in a cellar, was the skull of a young woman. She was around fourteen years old when she died from unknown causes. Her bones showed signs of extreme hardship during the "Starving Time," indicating the desperate conditions people faced. The research team has named her "Jane." Her true identity is still a mystery. DNA samples have been saved for future study, but it's hard to find modern relatives for comparison.

An important grave site was also discovered. The skeleton of one of the original colonists was found separate from other burials. It was placed in a special spot near one of the fort's gates. This person was buried in a coffin, along with a staff. A staff often showed that someone was a leader. Some researchers believe these could be the remains of Captain Bartholomew Gosnold. He was one of the people who helped organize the colony. Others think it might be Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr. He was a governor who died on his way back to the colony. Research continues to try and identify this important individual.

Remains were also carefully dug up from the chancel of the church built in 1608. This church was possibly the first Protestant church built in the New World. The men buried there were likely very important in the colony. The four individuals are possibly identified as "Rev. Robert Hunt, believed to be the first Anglican minister in the Americas; Capt. Gabriel Archer, an early expedition leader; Sir Ferdinando Wainman, a cousin of the Virginian governor; and Capt. William West, the governor's uncle." These identifications are based on clues and evidence found at the site.

A Unique Community

The first settlers at Jamestown were a diverse group. Many of the men had experience in warfare and building forts from their time in the Low Countries during the Dutch Revolt. These people brought a wide range of skills and experiences to the new colony.

As they adapted to life in Virginia, they also learned to interact with the local Native American communities. This led to the creation of a unique local culture. We can see this in artifacts like modified armor or clay pipes made right there in Jamestown.

Gallery

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  Interpretive sign

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  Main entrance, near the church, 2015

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  The site in 2015

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  View from the riverside, 2015

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  Wooden barracks frame, 2010

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  The site in 2014

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  The site in 2014

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  The site in 2014

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  Yeardley House, location of the project's offices