DR. WILLIAM KELSO REVEALS NEW FINDINGS FROM AMERICA’S
BIRTHPLACE DURING HISTORICAL SOCIETY LECTURE
PALM BEACH, Fla. (March, 2004)—The mysteries and myths
surrounding the creation of America’s first permanent
English settlement, the 1607 Jamestown settlement in Virginia,
will be revealed during a special Historical Society of
Palm Beach County lecture featuring Dr. William Kelso, director
of archaeology for the Association for the Preservation
of Virginia Antiquities (APVA). Dr. Kelso, one of the foremost
historical archaeologists in early American history, is
head of the Jamestown Rediscovery Project, a multi-million
dollar archaeological research program considered to be
one of the most significant archaeological excavations in
the United States. The project has unearthed the remains
of James Fort, long thought to be lost to the James River,
and dispels the myth that the settlement was a failure due
to the inexperience and ineptitude of the original colonists.
The lecture will be held at The Society of the Four Arts
in Palm Beach on March 23 at 6:00 p.m., and is free to the
public.
Jamestown, the birthplace of the United States
as we know it today, was established as a commercial venture
in 1607 by a group of over 100 English men and boys. It
was funded by the Virginia Company, a group of London entrepreneurs
that was granted a charter by King James I to establish
a settlement in the Chesapeake region of North America for
the purpose of finding gold, other profitable resources
and a water route to China. Almost immediately after their
arrival, the colonists built James Fort to protect themselves
from attacks by the Virginia Indians, and the perceived
threat of attack by the Spanish.
The Jamestown Rediscovery Project, led by
Dr. Kelso, was launched in 1994 to identify and interpret
the remains of the 1607 James Fort and surrounding town
site on Jamestown Island. In 1996, archaeologists uncovered
the remains of the fort, dispelling the widely held belief
that it had been lost to the James River, and providing
unique insight into the creation of the colony and the life
of its inhabitants. Until that time, only a few contemporary
descriptions of James Fort and its location existed, including
one visual representation of the fort sketched by a Spanish
spy in 1608. Since the excavation began, archaeologists
have found the outline of the fort, including the remains
of portions of the palisade walls, three bulwarks, several
interior buildings and more. Approximately 90 percent of
the fort still exists today on dry land.
Since its discovery, over 500,000 objects,
most dating to the Elizabethan Era, have been uncovered
at the site, providing historians and scholars with new
information that is redefining the common perceptions of
one of the most important aspects of American history. Among
the objects discovered are pieces of military armor, ceramics
and pottery, tools, coins, jewelry, religious icons and
more. With this new information and research, the APVA have
been able to piece together a more accurate description
of the settlers’ existence, countering the belief
that the Jamestown settlement was driven to failure by the
laziness and ineptitude of the colonists and the greed of
the London investors. Because many of the colonists were
English “gentlemen” it was assumed that most
were ill-prepared to tame the wilderness and lacked the
military savvy to protect the settlement from its enemies,
therefore incapable of making the commercial venture a success.
The APVA’s Jamestown Rediscovery Project
has shed new light on America’s first permanent settlement,
demonstrating that at least some of the group possessed
the skills necessary to make the colony succeed, and worked
hard to generate a profit for the Virginia Company. The
fort’s location confirms that it was the best strategic
military position on Jamestown Island. Artifacts found at
the site also indicate that trade was a central component
of the colonists lives, and that many of them were skilled
in metallurgy and other crafts. Evidence of copper and glass
beads demonstrate that the colonists attempted to live peacefully
alongside the Virginia Indians through the establishment
of trade.
As the project moves forward, Dr. Kelso’s
team is working to develop comprehensive biographies on
the early settlers and the Indians that they came into contact
with. The Jamestown Rediscovery Project continues to modify
and interpret the public’s knowledge of the lives
of America’s first permanent settlers and the beginnings
of America’s government, culture and traditions.
Dr. Kelso has served as the Jamestown Rediscovery
Project’s director for over 10 years. Prior to that,
he served as director of archaeology at Colonial Williamsburg’s
Carter’s Grove, Monticello and Poplar Forest. He was
also commissioner of archaeology for the Virginia Historic
Landmarks Commission.
Founded in 1889, the APVA is the oldest statewide
preservation organization in the United States. It currently
owns or manages 34 historic properties throughout Virginia.
For more information about the Historical
Society’s lecture series, contact Kae Jonsons, (561)
832-4164.
For more information about the APVA and the
James Fort excavation at Historic Jamestown, visit www.apva.org
or contact Paula Neely, (804) 781-0116.
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