Jamestown Rediscovery Collections
In 1994 the Jamestown Rediscovery program launched to search for evidence of the first permanent settlement established by English colonists in Virginia in 1607 on the portion of Jamestown Island owned by Preservation Virginia. Excavations undertaken from 1994 onward have uncovered much of the footprint of the first fortification and many intact features dating to the period of its occupation from 1607-1624.
Ongoing research has resulted in an estimated five million artifacts, and the collection grows each year. These collections represent James Fort and some of the surrounding area. Some closed contexts such as wells and pits can be dated with precision to relatively narrow windows of occupation before 1624, while other contexts highlight Jamestown as a religious center, port town and the capital of Virginia up to 1699.
The site was heavily impacted by the construction of an earthen Confederate fort in 1861, and activities related to Preservation Virginia's early ownership of the land, obtained in 1893.
Much more detail about the Jamestown Rediscovery excavations can be found on their website historicjamestowne.org.
Associated Artifacts
Spurs
Spurs
