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The Elucidating Grannies Follow Whispering Bones to Historic Jamestown

The Elucidating Grannies chose Jamestown as the first stop on our exploration of colonial life in Williamsburg, Virginia. The whisper of a young girl’s bones lured us there. For background on the origins of the Elucidating Grannies, see my previous post.

To show marks on bones that have been cannibalized

Cut marks on Jane Doe’s jaw bone

British colonists erected a fort on the James River in 1607, making Jamestown the first permanent British settlement in North America.

Jamestown was the logical first step on our quest to understand the nation’s colonial roots. But Liz and I also thought Jamestown would pique the interest of our grandkids–Eva, Abby, and Aydan. Because of research I’d done for my book Tomb Raiders: Real Tales of Grave Robberies, I knew Jamestown’s bones had a grisly story to tell about desperate people trying to survive in a desperate time. Read more