http://www.boston.com/dailynews/096/nation/Archaeologists_uncover_more_ev:.shtml
Archaeologists uncover more evidence of hardships at Jamestown
By Sonja Barisic, Associated Press, 4/6/2001 10:18
JAMESTOWN, Va. (AP) Just surviving in the early years of America's first permanent English settlement was so trying that the colonists didn't always have the time or energy to properly bury their dead, say archaeologists now examining their graves.
By studying the remains of the early settlers and the way they were buried, the scientists hope to learn more about Jamestown and the men, women and children who struggled against disease and starvation to make it their home.
''A time machine would be great. This is the next best thing,'' said William Kelso, who is directing the archaeological work. ''You're coming face to face with what's left of a person who lived here. I feel strongly that the remains can tell a story.''
Researchers believe the burial sites date from 1607, when the settlement was founded, to 1645, when the first sections of a now-demolished statehouse complex were built over many of the graves.
Jamestown began as a business venture when three ships carrying 100 men and four boys landing on a small island near the mouth of the James River. The first representative government in America was established there in 1619, and Jamestown was the capital of Virginia until 1699.
But in the winter of 1609-1610, Jamestown only barely survived.
Historians call it the ''starving time,'' and say the scores of deaths may have been caused by illness, famine brought on by drought or rats destroying the colony's corn supplies. By the spring of 1610, only 60 of the 215 people at the Jamestown fort were still alive.
The graves now being examined may have been dug during that period, Kelso said, and studies of their remains could give scientists a better understanding of what happened at Jamestown.
Some of the graves were arranged haphazardly, and the contorted positions of some of the skeletons one was found face down indicate the people were buried hurriedly, Kelso said Thursday.
Buttons found in two graves indicate the dead were buried in their clothes, which could indicate contagious disease because the settlers had apparently tried to avoid handling the bodies, he said.
The site was first discovered in the mid-1950s. Archaeologists returned last year and have so far excavated 24 of the 74 known burial sites. Using modern techniques, they hope to determine sex, age at death, diet, ancestry, general health and possible cause of death.
Forensic anthropologist Ashley McKeown said most of the remains unearthed are of men, and some of the skeletons are well-preserved.
When the burial study is complete, the remains will be reburied at the site. It is part of a project launched in 1994 by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities to unearth the original Jamestown fort.
Kelso said he wants to mark the burial sites with information gleaned from the remains so that visitors will learn something about the people buried there.
''People were treated so anonymously here,'' he said. ''They really were the unsung heroes.''
On the Net:
Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities site: http://www.apva.org
-- Anonymous, April 06, 2001
We have a plant called "deadly nightshade" in Britain, Brooks. The
flower is beautiful and resembles a tiny turk's cap, except the outer
part is rich purple and the inner part is yellow. All British
children are taught from a very young age to give the plants a wide
berth. I couldn't find a picture of the flower but the berries are
shown below:
Nightshades
(Solanum)
Nightshades are medium to large, untidy, bushy
plants; preferring scrubby places. The leaves are
usually long-stalked and spear-shaped. The berries
ripen from green to black, red, yellow or white.
Eating causes nausea, vomiting, salivation,
drowsiness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weakness and
respiratory depression. Plants producing similar
but
edible berries are usually more compact and woody,
the berries smaller and more numerous. However, if
in any doubt assume them to be Deadly Nightshade
and avoid.
Here's a picture and description of Jimsonweed:
Jimson Weed (or Thorn-apple)
(Datura stramonium)
Jimson Weed or Thorn-apple is an annual herb
growing to three feet high with a green to
purplish
stem and unpleasant smell. The leaves are
alternating with coarse teeth. The flower is
large
and tubular with 5 shallow lobes at the top and a
white or lavendercolour. The fruit is a spiny
capsule with many seeds. Originally from Asia, it
has become naturalized in North America and is
found in disturbed areas, along roadsides, old
fields, pastures, waste places and as a garden
weed. All parts are poisonous, mainly the seeds
and leaves. Symptoms can include hot, dry, and
flushed skin, hallucinations, pupil dilation,
headache, delirium, rapid and weak pulse,
convulsions, and coma. Toxic if large quantities
are eaten.
-- Anonymous, April 06, 2001
I guess this settlement was after the one on Roanoke Island in North
Carolina? the site of the Passion Play, "The Lost Colony"?
This settlement went without support from England for a while, and a
severe winter came along, and....when the next ship arrived no one
was left. But after that, there were indians seen in the area with
blue eyes, an unusual sight they say. Legend has it that the indians
came and massacred the colony, and possibly kept some of the woman
and small children as slaves.
[Roanoke Island is on the landward side of the Outer Banks, just west
of Kitty Hawk. You can see the Wright Brother's monument thing from
behind the stage of the theatre, which is an outdoor theatre, btw.
Ever seen the play? Or the movie, for that matter?
-- Anonymous, April 07, 2001