Holy Ground: The 1608 Church and Chancel Excavations at James Fort

Summary

During the 2010 and 2013 field seasons, Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologists excavated the remains of the sites first substantial church (1608 – 1617) and the remains of four individuals buried within the chancel. The dimensions and location of this "pretty chapel" as noted by secretary of the colony William Strachey matched the post-in-ground structure found by Rediscovery archaeologists in 2010. Additionally, the location of the building closely aligns with a cross-like symbol drawn on a ca. 1608 Spanish map outlining the Fort and the landscape in which it is situated.  The four individuals were identified through historical documents, forensics, chemistry, and science.  The identification – of both the structure and the individuals contained with – highlights the process of discovery and contextualizes these finds adding to the greater narrative of early James Fort. This paper will provide a context for several of the subsequent presentations in the session.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Looking Back, Moving Forward: Reinterpreting Jamestown through Archaeology, History, Science, and Technology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 731