Secrets of Jamestown

PLOT SUMMARY: Jamestown was the first permanent settlement in North America, but the settlement almost didn't make it because the colonists were inept. In 1607 104 colonists were crammed onto three ships because the British had ordered them to search for new lands. Jamestown was considered the starting point of America. The British called the new settlement "Jamestown", after their king. Jamestown came to North America 10 years before the Pilgrims came over. The Jamestown colony's objective for the trip was money. Right away when the settlers reached North America, they ran into trouble with Indians and disease. Many people were dying every day from disease, war, but mostly famine. John Smith took control of the settlement and started to trade for food with the Indians.

Archaeologists extract from the core of the tree rings to learn about climate in Jamestown. Colonists reported horrible weather, so these archaeologists are just making sure that the colonists were checking to see if they were telling the truth. The analysis was that from 1606-1613 there was a severe drought which would effect the growth of corn and trading with the Indians. When Captain John Smith went back to Europe the Indians starved the colonists. During the starvation the colonists started to eat human flesh, horses and rats. Archaeologists preserved Jamestown full time. It took 10 years to vision what Jamestown looked like. Now they even know where some houses stood. APVA preservation Virginia's goal was to preserve Jamestown full time. In 1994 they dug and uncovered the foundation of three buildings. They were made out of mud and stud. They found many artifacts from life in Jamestown. They found a well outside the old fort. The colonists used this well for fresh water. While digging up the well, archaeologists found tools, armor, pottery, and more. All of the artifacts are analyzed and cataloged. To preserve iron artifacts they use a process called air abrasion. There has been half a million artifacts excavated so far. Archaeologists proved that colonists were busy, unlike Captain John Smith had said. In Captain John Smith's writings he had said that they were lazy They were busy digging ditches and building houses.

Archaeologists discovered a gravestone with skeleton remains. The archaeologists can learn the skeleton's sex, age and ancestry. They even can find out that one skeleton was killed by a musket. Forensic scientists can recreate a face. The face may take up to 100 hours to finish.

Archaeologists are always finding new things at the excavation site.

CHARACTERS: Captain John Smith was a character in Secrets of Jamestown. He was a lazy man, but he was a good leader. He made up lies about the colonist being lazy, but he was the real lazy one.

YOUR THOUGHTS: I thought the show was interesting, but too long. I thought it was interesting that the archaeologists could tell that there was a big drought in Jamestown just by extracting the core of an old tree. I thought that they added in too much un-needed infornmation also so at times it was boring.