Raccoon Bones

“There is a beast they [Virginia Indians] call Aroughcun, much like a badger, but useth to live on trees as Squirrels doe.”

A powerful part of John Smith’s records of Virginia are his descriptions of the various new species encountered by him and the other colonists. In many of these writings, Smith will typically identify the Indigenous name for the animal, compare it to an animal known to the English, and describe some of its behaviors. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) were no exception. Known for their bandit-style masks and tactile paws, raccoons are great climbers that are still seen on Jamestown Island today.

Like so many other creatures native to the area, raccoons became a food source during the Starving Time. Various contexts on Jamestown associated with this period have a high presence of raccoon bones, many of which also have cut marks indicative of butchery.

Today, many associate raccoons with their ability to eat anything and everything, even trash. But did you know that their teeth are specially designed to allow them to have a wider dietary range? Most of their teeth are pointed, which is perfect for slicing and cutting food. But their molars are flat crowned which, like human molars, allow raccoons to chew and grind all different kinds of food!