Archaeologists resume search for 'Lost Colony'
Archaeologists will probe new locations at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site over the next two weeks as part of ongoing efforts to solve America’s oldest unsolved mystery – the fate of Sir Walter Raleigh’s “Lost Colony” that went missing more than 400 years ago.
The First Colony Foundation, a group of professional archaeologists, have partnered with the National Park Service on the dig on Roanoke Island.
“The upcoming dig offers a unique opportunity for anyone interested in the fate of the Lost Colony to watch professional archaeologists at work,” David Hallac, superintendent for national parks in eastern North Carolina, said in a statement.
The dig, which starts on Wednesday and runs through Sept. 24, will explore multiple sites, including a metallurgical and science workshop where numerous artifacts have already been uncovered and promising areas that were surveyed in 2016 using ground-penetrating radar.
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“This dig includes new ground that’s never been tested archaeologically,” Jami Lanier, Fort Raleigh's cultural resource manager and historian, said in a statement. “So, it’s very exciting to see what may be found."
The mystery of the Lost Colony is not only where the settlers went, but also where the 117 men, women and children lived while on Roanoke Island.
Earthen ramparts likely built during an expedition in 1585 and abandoned prior to the Lost Colony’s arrival two years later offer a clue, and that area will be examined further during the archaeological work, officials said.
Previous digs on the Fort Raleigh site have uncovered an array of Elizabethan and Native American artifacts, including pottery, tools and trade items.
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site rangers will provide educational information at the dig site from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. daily during the dig.
