2024 | Historic Jamestowne

The archaeologists began 2024 by continuing excavations at multiple sites north of 1607 James Fort and close to the Pit & Tar Swamp. Additional testing into the ca. 1608 ditch extending from the north bulwark of James Fort supported theories that this was a military trench and is the “flag” feature depicted on the Zuñiga Map. Excavation of the southwest corner of the borrow pit identified by J. C. Harrington in the 1940s uncovered evidence for a pug mill, an area for clay preparation that was powered by draft animals like horses or mules. Finally, the team finished their excavation of two sub-floor pits that the researchers theorized are part of early fort-period houses or cabins mentioned by John Smith in 1608-1609.

Besides finishing areas started in 2023, the team focused on new areas threatened by flooding related to sea level rise and climate change. The team divided the low-lying area traditionally known as “the Vale” into multiple zones in which they conducted targeted geophysical surveys. The archaeologists opened test units on the higher ground in front of the statehouse foundations and Archaearium and progressed downhill hoping to define the edge of a 1610s-1630s burial ground that predated the statehouse. Geophysical surveys indicate that the human remains in these graves are likely experiencing frequent groundwater inundation that threatens their preservation.