Showing posts with label Powhatan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Powhatan. Show all posts

Monday, January 6, 2014

Jamestown: Indian Attack

In 1607, 
it was reported that someone was killed
during an attack by Powhatan's tribe.
His grave was found during the archaeological dig.
The arrow point was resting next to his leg
and would have been lodged into the surrounding tissue
during burial.
He had a broken collarbone
and his grave was hastily dug
and most likely one of the first
if not the first death.
Because the skeleton also provided evidence
of a broken abcessed tooth,
it's unknown if the arrow or infection or
a combination of the two 
were the cause of death.
This is a likeness.
He was estimated to be 14-15 years old.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Jamestown: A Brief Overview

Couple of savages sitting under the Pocahontas statue
 Jamestown, VA was the first permanent English settlements in the Americas.
In December of 1606, 104 settlers sailed from London
to find a water route to the Orient, settle Virginia and find gold.
From the moment they stepped off the shipped,
the settlers came under attack by the Algonquin Indians in the area.
The Algonquins were a constant on-again-off-again enemy.
Pocahontas daughter of Chief Powhatan
Captain John Smith was able to set up trade with the Algonquins
but with Smith's departure back to England,
the period known as "The Starving Time" came about.
Many people died from starvation and disease 
and there was a period of warfare between the colonists and the natives.

Eventually more colonists arrived at Jamestown
under a second charter by the king (James I)
that allowed for stronger leadership.
Settlers attempted several different types of industries
before John Rolfe introduced tobacco farming
which proved to be profitable.
John Rolfe ended up marrying Pocahontas, the chief's daughter. 
I've made many trips to Jamestown,
and I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area.
(photos with the exception of the one at the top of the page were taken with 
and IR filter- yes, I was looking for ghosts.)