New Discoveries at Jamestown

묢New Discoveries at Jamestown

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by John L. Cotter J. Paul Hudson
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Title: New Discoveries at Jamestown Site of the First Successful English Settlement in America
Author: John L. Cotter J. Paul Hudson
Release Date: July 13, 2005 [EBook #16277]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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[Illustration]
New Discoveries at JAMESTOWN
Site of the First Successful English Settlement in America
By JOHN L. COTTER and J. PAUL HUDSON
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1957

[Illustration]
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fred A. Seaton, Secretary
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Conrad L. Wirth, Director
[Illustration]
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D.C.--Price 50 cents

Preface
Jamestown, a name of first rank among historic names, saw the birth of English America. Here on an island in the James River in the heart of tidewater Virginia the English carved a settlement out of the wilderness. It grew from a rude palisaded fort into a busy community and then into a small town that enjoyed many of the comforts of daily living. For 13 years (until 1620) Virginia was the only English colony on the American mainland. Jamestown served this colony as its place of origin and as its capital for 92 years--from 1607 to 1699.
After its first century of prominence and leadership, "James Towne" entered a long decline, precipitated, in 1700, by the removal of the seat of government to Williamsburg. Its residents drifted away, its streets grew silent, its buildings decayed, and even its lots and former public places became cultivated fields. Time passed and much was forgotten or obscured. So it was when it became a historic area, in part, in 1893, and when the whole island became devoted to historical purposes in 1934.
Since these dates, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities and the National Park Service have worked toward the preservation of all that still exists of old Jamestown, and are dedicated to learning its story more completely. Thus the American people can more fully understand and enjoy their historic heritage of Jamestown. A great deal of study along many lines has been required and much more is still needed to fill the many gaps. Libraries have been searched for pictures, documents, and plans. Land records have been carefully scrutinized and old existing landmarks studied. Seventeenth-century buildings and objects still surviving in England, America, and elsewhere have been viewed as well as museum collections. A key part of the search has been the systematic excavation of the townsite itself, in order to bring to light the information and objects long buried there. This is the aspect of the broad Jamestown study that is told in this publication, particularly as its relates to the material things, large and small, of daily life in Jamestown in the 17th century.
These valuable objects are a priceless part of the Jamestown that exists today. Collectively they form one of the finest groups of such early material that has been assembled anywhere. Although most are broken and few are intact, they would not be traded for better preserved and more perfect examples that do exist elsewhere. These things were the property and the possessions of the men and women who lived, worked, and died at Jamestown. It was because of these people, who handled and used them in their daily living, and because of what they accomplished, that Jamestown is one of our best remembered historic places.
April 6, 1956 CHARLES E. HATCH, JR. Colonial National Historical Park

Contents
PART ONE. Exploration: The Ground Yields Many Things
Churches Mansions Row Houses Single Brick Houses Frame Houses Miscellaneous Structures Workshop Structures Brick Walks or Paved Areas Brick Drains Ice Storage Pit Kilns Ironworking Pits Wells Ditches Refuse Pits Roads
PART TWO. Daily Life at Jamestown 300 Years Ago As Revealed by Recovered Objects
Houses Building Hardware Windows Wall and Fireplace Tile Roofing Materials Lime Plaster and Mortar Ornamental Plasterwork House Furnishings Furniture Lighting Devices Fireplace Accessories Cooking Utensils and Accessories Table Accessories Knives, Forks, and Spoons Pottery and Porcelain Lead-glazed Earthenware English Sgraffito-ware (a slipware) English Slip-decorated-ware English Redware with Marbled Slip Decoration Italian Maiolica Delftware Spanish Maiolica Salt-glazed Stoneware Metalware Eating and Drinking Vessels Glass Drinking Vessels Glass Wine and Gin Bottles Food Storage Vessels and Facilities Clothing and Footwear Artisans and Craftsmen The Carpenter The Cooper The Woodcutter and Sawyer The Ironworker The Blacksmith The Boatbuilder The Potter The Glassblower The Brickmaker and Tilemaker The Limeburner Other Craftsmen Home Industries Spinning and Weaving Malting and Brewing Dairying and Cheesemaking