Jamestown as an Archaeological Site Essay

Introduction

Jamestown, situated along the coastal lands of Virginia, is a well-known historic site for accommodating the first English settlers of the land. However, the region is invaluable to the US because archaeological excursions have uncovered unique features and artifacts depicting the first settlers’ way of life. The Jamestown rediscovery project began in 1994, intending to uncover the original site of the James Fort, presumed to have been lost due to the river’s erosion. Nevertheless, since its initiation, archaeologists have unearthed more than three million artifacts and excavated more than 80% of the triangular fort. The most recent discoveries at the site suggest that the settlers suffered significant hardships, including starvation, high rates of disease, and death during the 1600s but were dedicated to forging new endeavors away from England.

A Brief History and Background of Jamestown

Englishmen from England cited Jamestown in North America as a viable area to establish a colony in 1607. Following their selection, 104 men and 13 boys created a settlement in the region, named after King James I. Jamestown was a preferable site to set base because of its proximity to the river (Reid 23). A significant portion of Jamestown’s boundaries is surrounded by water, thus making it easier to defend from the Spanish. Additionally, no natives resided in the area, and the water was deep enough to facilitate docking. Thus, the site’s features made it preferable due to its resources and strategic position (Reid 26). In 1608, more colonists moved in, making Jamestown the first permanent settlement for Europeans in North America, allowing its existence for about 100 years.

Archaeological Excavations and Artefacts Retrieved at Jamestown

Dr. William Kelso pioneered the ongoing Jamestown exhumation in 1994 after obtaining permission from the Preservation of Virginia. The Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, as it was formerly known, purchased 22.5 acres of land to guard America’s birthplace (Kelly 26). However, eyewitness accounts from as early as 1837 suggested that a fort built by the captain and first settlers was submerged in the river, thus sparking interest to unearth what lay beneath. Over the past 25 years, archaeologists have retrieved more than three million spectacular items that fit into broad categories, including colorful beads used for trade, armor, sword hilts, and pots. Investigators also discovered alembic fragments, bear claws, bricks with hoof prints, coins, clay balls, arrow mounts, telescope lenses, tenterhooks, coins, and footwear (Herrmann 175). Nevertheless, some items found on the site are strange and associated with the mixed cultures that existed in the region during the period.

Apart from items used for trade, archaeologists at Jamestown have unearthed artifacts that can be linked with other parts of the globe, including Asia, Europe, the North Atlantic and Caribbean Islands, and the rest of North America. For example, they found a commemorative medallion awarded to members serving in the English colony, the Elizabethan trial plate, a lion counterweight, serpent glass, tokens, glass figurines, scissors snuffer, rambler bells, and wine cups (Herrmann 178). In addition, the excavators are digging up items linked to the natives in the region, such as a trumpet mouthpiece, West Indian top shells, stone tablets, foodways, household items, and health and hygiene objects (Kelly 26). Most recently, archaeologists exhumed and successfully identified the bodies of four people buried in the first church built in the fort (Zimmerman 25). Therefore, these findings are reliable in conceptualizing how individuals lived during these days and the visitors’ interactions and relations with others and their environment.

Archaeological Methods and Techniques used at the Jamestown Site

The first step toward uncovering what lay beneath Jamestown involved examining notes and artifacts initially retrieved by the National Park Service (NPS) and objects obtained from the Preservation of Virginia collections. The team that came forward to carry out these initiatives comprised experienced doctors, namely Ivor Noël Hume, Nicholas Luccketti, Bly Straube, and Dr. Kelso (Herrmann 174). The objects the archaeologists studied included weapons and pottery fragments dating back to the town’s establishment. The examined soil had traces of wooden fences, proving that building structures existed in the area, thus encouraging the extensive exploration of the region (Kelly 26). As a result, they began their excavations in 1994 by digging up the area between the fort’s tower and its church. Subsequently, more discoveries led to the adoption of cutting-edge solutions.

The team led by Dr. Kelso focused on areas with rich archaeological features, including ditches, pits, graves, post holes, and wells. After mapping out these areas, the archaeologists adopted simple methods such as shovel testing, which allowed them to screen the soil and identify more artifacts (Veronesi 3). Subsequently, the team used chemical analyses, carbon dating of skeletal remains, and examining historical documents to match their findings with retrieved evidence. However, advanced technologies have allowed it to adopt more sophisticated excavation methods and assessments to limit the destruction of artifacts and retrieved objects (Veronesi 8). For example, archaeologists use radar technologies to identify objects in the ground and bottomless pits. Moreover, items embedded in walls and rocks are identified using electrical impulses and carefully curved out using tools that do not interfere with their originality. Modern techniques are more effective because they maximize efficiency and ensure authenticity. Nevertheless, archaeologists prefer using simple tools to dig out artifacts in soil and sediments to minimize the damage and obtain objects that are close to the original as possible.

Over the past years, the Jamestown Rediscovery project has embarked on partial building and reconstruction to further reveal its layout’s aesthetics and elaborate how individuals in the region organized their defenses (Herrmann 177). Reconstruction involves adopting various solutions to re-enforce structures and reinstall the archaeological architectures using historical descriptions of the place and evidence collected from years of excavations. Reconstructing these elements allows visitors and researchers to understand the setting better and experience the site’s layout as it was in the 17^th century (Kelly 36). In addition, it informs archaeologists of the areas where they should focus on and the items they are likely to find. Although no plans exist to rebuild the fort, the available structures enrich Jamestown’s landscape and provide a relatable experience for tourists and visitors.

What the Artefacts Reveal about the Life of People in Jamestown

The goals of the Jamestown Rediscovery project are to uncover the marvelous constituents of its fortified port and share all its discoveries with researchers, virtual and actual visitors. As a result, archaeologists bring together various data and information obtained from collected artifacts and records. Thus, they can reconstruct individuals’ lifestyles, values, social practices, economic activities, and levels of advancement (Veronesi 5). Evidence from artifacts collected at Jamestown suggests that the first settlers were well prepared to occupy the land and ready to associate with the natives. Englishmen carried along everything they required for sustainable living, including full body armor, farming tools, valuable items for trade, weapons, and equipment used in masonry, barber shops, carpentry, and sewing (Reid 25). These products allowed them to obtain corn in exchange for metal tools, beads, and other valuable objects, thus assisting them in formulating good relationships with natives. Therefore, they settled in Jamestown to develop and make it profitable.

Additionally, the artifacts allow individuals to understand the social relationships between the natives and the settlers. According to historical records and the diversity of materials found at the port, it is evident that the Englishmen engaged in numerous trading activities with the natives. Remarkably, John Smith helped establish good relations with the Powhatan by marrying their princess (Zimmerman 32). As a result, booming trade enabled the settlers to thieve in the region and ensure their survival by exchanging food and other items with the natives. Additionally, the settlers were engaged in other economies, such as plowing the land, since they kept tools for subsistence farming (Jones 668). Moreover, items retrieved from the church at the fort suggest that the early settlers were Christians associated with the Pentecostal religious groups but had several Catholic relics stored in their cabinets (Reid 29). Therefore, this evidence reveals that some of the settlers may have been Catholics expelled or secretly fled from England since it was illegal to be Catholic in protestant England. Thus, the information provides a more vivid account of what led to these individuals’ settlement and their way of life.

Nevertheless, the settlers were not on good terms with some natives as they were not always friendly. Although denizens mostly welcomed their settlement in the area, the settlers faced substantial security risks. Jones suggests that settlers buried many of their dead in unmarked graves so that the natives would not realize their dwindling numbers (Jones 665). Thus, their safety was a crucial issue that encouraged them to keep weapons and fences around the fort to protect their homes. Additionally, the archaeological data from the Jamestown site indicates a long period of starvation, and they quickly lost their lives due to hunger and disease. Individuals’ accounts described a period when there was so little to eat that the settlers started eating leather shoes and pests (Zimmerman 22). Kelso and his team gained international attention after discovering the remains of a butchered teenage girl. These remains were evidence that settlers cannibalized those dead due to their lack of options. The girl, later named ‘Jane’ by the archaeologists, shed light on a dark period of American history characteristic of its early chapters.

The archaeological remnants recovered from Jamestown revealed astonishing facts about the early settlers and the techniques through which they traveled from England to North America. For example, excavations of remains show that all individuals who arrived first were men. Women joined the group in 1907 when they came with additional supplies and medicine to alleviate the troubles of the individuals who did not succumb to starvation and disease (Kelly 39). Kelso and his team have uncovered evidence that points to several links between the place and England. For example, there are remains of class lines brought from England and modern-like houses built for Jamestown’s governor and his councilors. Additionally, the remains reveal the presence of early African-Americans who worked for the settlers as enslaved people. English pirates were responsible for the first African-American captives sailed from Angola (Reid 31). In addition, the region is known to have hosted royalties and influential individuals from England such as Captain Gabriel Archer, who was the first true knight ever to be buried in the US. Therefore, the excavations show that these individuals lived an affluent lifestyle and were organized.

Conclusion

Jamestown is a historical site increasingly attracting the attention of millions of tourists, archaeologists, and scientists intrigued by the first settlers’ cultures. The Jamestown Rediscovery project started in the area in 1994, allowing archaeologists led by Dr. Kelso to discover more than three million artifacts comprised of valuable items, cookware, weapons, body armor, religious relics, and valuable metals. Since sediments cover a vast portion of the port due to erosion, the main techniques adopted include shoveling, analyzing previously collected artifacts, carbon dating, chemical analyses, and examining historical documents. Moreover, the team is reconstructing the place to replenish its aesthetic nature. Nevertheless, these discoveries have revealed the complex features of early settlers’ lives, such as their economic practices, the introduction of slavery to the US, subsistence activities, trade, religion, and social relations. Moreover, they inform individuals of the factors that led to the Englishmen’s suffering when they first arrived in the US. Thus, this information is critical since it creates awareness of the roots of the US and can help to follow up on the developments that have made the nation what it is today.

Works Cited

Jones, Scott R. “Jamestown, Virginia, 1607: First Southern Surgeons and the First Healthcare Crisis.” Journal of the American College of Surgeons 232.4 (2021): 665-669.

Kelly, Joseph. Marooned: Jamestown, Shipwreck, and a New History of America’s Origin. Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2018.

Reid, L. Chardé. “It’s Not About Us”: Exploring White-Public Heritage Space, Community, and Commemoration on Jamestown Island, Virginia.” International journal of historical archaeology 26.1 (2022): 22-52.

Herrmann, Rachel B. “Jamestown: The Truth Revealed.” (2018): 174-178.

Veronesi, Umberto. Archaeology and the alchemical laboratory: Exploring early modern chymical practices at colonial Jamestown (Virginia) and the Old Ashmolean Museum (Oxford). Diss. UCL (University College London), 2021. Web.

Zimmerman, Sandy. “Winter is Coming: The Starving Time at Jamestown Fort in 1609.”Journal of Student Research at Indiana University East 3.1 (2021): 20-33. Web.