Archaeology and the construction of America's Jamestown
Abstract
In consideration of the 2007 anniversary of the 1607 establishment of Jamestown, England's first permanent settlement in North America, the history of archaeological research on the site is reviewed and the use of archaeology in the symbolic construction of Jamestown as 'America's Birthplace' discussed. It is argued that the archaeological construction of Jamestown as an American icon ultimately constrains understanding of the site in terms of its broader Atlantic world context, obscuring the motivations, experiences and expectations of the Europeans who made their way to Virginia, and rendering the considerable native presence invisible. Findings from the most recent projects on the Island, placed in the context of past investigations, allow for an evaluation of the significance of Jamestown's archaeology in the 21st century.
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Studies that frame Jamestown as an icon of American history constrain understanding of the site by obscuring European motivations and experiences while rendering the Native American presence nearly invisible.
“Studies that frame Jamestown as an icon of American history also constrain understanding of the site by obscuring European motivations and experiences while rendering the Native American presence all but invisible (Horning 2006a, p. 1).”
From The Archaeology of Native Societies in the Chesapeake: New Investigations and Interpretations (2011) · cites this paper as Horning 2006a
Cites
The Lost Colony and Jamestown Droughts
Stahle, D. W., Cleaveland, M. K., Blanton, D. B., Therrell, M. D., & Gay, D. A. (1998) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.280.5363.564 · Cited by 267 · see citing works
Drought as a factor in the Jamestown colony, 1607–1612
Blanton, D. B. (2000) · Historical Archaeology · doi:10.1007/bf03374329 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
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The Archaeology of Native Societies in the Chesapeake: New Investigations and Interpretations
Gallivan, M. (2011) · Journal of Archaeological Research · doi:10.1007/s10814-010-9048-4 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
- Authors
- Horning, A.
- Corresponding author
- Horning, Audrey
- ORCID
- Horning, Audrey
- Venue
- Post-Medieval Archaeology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2006-04
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-27
- ISSN
- 0079-4236 (ISSN-L)
- 1745-8137
- OpenAlex
- W1976955752
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 3.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Post-Medieval Archaeology (publishedVersion)
- Leicester Research Archive (University of Leicester) (submittedVersion)
- Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Cultural Identity and Heritage
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
- Keywords
- Jamestown, American icons, Atlantic world, European settlers, colonial Virginia, historical archaeology, national identity
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