Excavation since 1994 has recovered over one million artifacts dating to the first half of the 17th century. The majority of the objects date to the first years of English settlement during the time the palisade walls of James Fort still stood (1607-1624). The site of James Fort was not washed into the river, as most people believed for the past 200 years. We have uncovered over 480 feet of palisade lines from the initial triangular fort, the east and north cannon projections (bulwarks), a section of the western bulwark ditch, eleven filled-in cellars, three wells, dozens of burials, and ten structures, all part of James Fort. Also, an addition to the fort has been discovered to the east of the triangular fort; this area remains largely unexplored. Previous archaeological work had failed to find evidence of the remains of James Fort. The Jamestown Rediscovery excavations began April 4, 1994. It took the archaeologists only 2 1/2 years to uncover enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the remains of the fort existed on the APVA property. As the project continues further discoveries will help archaeologists learn about the town growth, evolving architectural types, and day to day life at early 17th century Jamestown.

Statehouse Excavations

APVA excavations began in summer 2000 to study both the statehouse foundations and an earlier, unmarked burial ground located on the extreme western end of the APVA property. A number of test trenches dug at strategic locations along the foundations provided a chronology proving that the building was built over time from west to east, followed by additions to the north and south. The sequence was clear from inspecting wall junctions, revealing which wall was an addition to a wall already standing.

Excavations within the foundations revealed architectural features such as the arrangements of wooden floor joists and scaffold holes. Despite years of plowing, the 1903 cement capping of the foundations, and extensive prior archaeological investigation, test units within the foundations of H-shaped chimney hearths inside the central foundation also revealed evidence of a fire that destroyed at least the interior of the structure. This testing also recovered roofing materials, suggesting that the easternmost building roof was covered with an interlocking type of ceramic roof shingle known as pan tile, while the buildings to the west had either flat tiles or flat slate shingles.

Burial Study

Burial Study APVA's decision to study the unmarked burial ground lying beneath the statehouse foundations was predicated on the assumption that systematic recovery and preservation of a statistically valid sample of individual burials would make it possible to construct an early Jamestown population profile, of which there is little or no other record. Over 70 burials were excavated from the unmarked 17th century burial ground in 2000 and 2001, and are currently being studied to learn more about how the settlers lived and died. Many of the graves were under the foundations of the Ludwell Statehouse Complex built in the mid-1600s, so the burial ground is believed to date between 1607 and 1662. The position of the burials raises the possibility that some of them died during the 1609-1610 "starving time."

The recovery of these burials will give a good profile of the early fort population, including gender, ancestry, general health, disease, cause of death, burial customs, and perhaps time of death and social/economic conditions in the Fort area at the time of death. Dr. Ashley McKeown, APVA Jamestown Rediscovery forensic anthropologist, and Dr. Douglas Owsley, forensic osteologist at the Smithsonian Institution are analyzing the skeletal remains. In addition to an examination of the bones, tests will include carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis and DNA testing, if funding is received. This data can be compared to other broader studies of 17th-century burials in the Chesapeake region and provide researchers with the earliest evidence of the Euro-American population in order to measure change over time and across the region.

Visiting

Regular Admission:
Adults     $10
Ages 15 and under     Free

Tickets are good for seven consecutive days. Holders of the National Park Service Interagency Annual Pass and members of APVA Preservation Virginia are admitted free. A variety of other pass holders will also be admitted free of charge (click here for a list). There are also a variety of combination ticket packages available at the Visitor Contact Station.

Four-Site Combination Ticket: Historic Jamestowne / Jamestown Settlement / Yorktown Battlefield / Yorktown Victory Center

The combination ticket allows unlimited visits to each site and is valid for 7 days from time of purchase. It is on sale at all four attractions.

Adults     $29.25
Ages 13-15     $19.25
Ages 6-12     $9.25
Ages 5 and under     Free

Historic Jamestowne offers a wealth of activities for exploring the first permanent English settlement in North America and is jointly preserved and administered by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities and the National Park Service -- Colonial National Historical Park. Start your visit at the Visitor Center with exhibits and immersion theater experience. Tour the Archaearium, which tells the story of James Fort through archaeology. Share the moment of discovery with archaeologists and witness archaeology-in-action at the 1607 James Fort excavation; tour the reconstructed 17th-century Jamestown Memorial Church and original 17th-century church tower; take a walking tour with a park ranger through the New Towne area along the scenic James River; "meet" a 17th-century personality; and watch costumed glassblowers at the Glasshouse. A driving tour explores the lush natural setting where exhibits explain how the settlers harnessed that wilderness for their needs. Visitors regularly see bald eagles, heron, osprey, deer and other wildlife. Museum stores are available at the Visitor Center and the Archaearium.

Call 757-229-1733 for additional visitor information.

Holders of the following passes will be admitted to Historic Jamestowne at no additional charge:

* National Park Service Interagency Annual Pass
* APVA Preservation Virginia Membership Card
* National Park Pass
* Golden Age
* Golden Access
* Colonial National Historical Park Annual Pass
* Jamestown Island Annual Pass
* Interagency Annual Pass
* Interagency Senior Pass
* Interagency Access Pass
* Interagency Volunteer Pass