Posted on 06/08/2009 11:42:02 AM PDT by BGHater
Archaeologists have pulled a 400-year-old slate tablet from what they think was an original well at Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.
The slate is covered with faint inscriptions of local birds, flowers, a tree and caricatures of men, along with letters and numbers, according to Preservation Virginia, which jointly operates the dig site with the National Park Service. It was found at the center of James Fort, which was established in 1607 along the James River in eastern Virginia.
Research director William Kelso said the inscriptions were made with a slate pencil on the 4-inch-by-8-inch slate. The writings were wiped off, but they left grooves on the surface, he said.
"There were things written over things, written over things," Kelso said.
Researchers at NASA Langley put the slate through three-dimensional digital analysis so they could decipher its pictures and text. The imaging system normally is used to inspect materials for aerospace use.
An eagle and a heron appeared on the slate, along with three types of plants, which haven't yet been identified. A depiction of lions--the British armorial sign in the early 1600s--indicates that the writer could have been a government official, Kelso said.
The phrase "A minon of the finest sorte" also appears on the slate, and Kelso said "minon" may have been an alternate spelling of "minion," possibly referring to a cannon, slave or servant.
The artifact shows the high level of interest the English settlers had in the New World's flora and fauna, Kelso said. The archaeology team thinks that someone probably started the artwork and writing in England, and added to the slate over time after arriving in the new colony of Virginia.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailypress.com ...
This computer-enhanced photo highlights simple drawings of birds and people that were etched on a slate tablet recently excavated by archaeologists in Jamestown, Virginia, America's first permanent English settlement.
The rare inscribed slate, believed to be 400 years old, was found in a well that archaeologists think may have been dug by Capt. John Smith, Jamestown's best known leader.
James ping.
Any Acorn lists of voters found?
Pioneers and turkeys?
Not exactly John White material:
http://www.virtualjamestown.org/images/white_debry_html/jamestown.html
Just found out in doing my geneology that I have a relative that was in Jamestown in the early settlement.
Wow! What a find!
Kinda surprised they found it in a well, though. The best arky finds by far come from one place - the crapper!
......Kinda surprised they found it in a well, though......
It was a very early excuse...... the well ate my homework.
They've already excavated the crapper at Jamestown. Found a couple of cell phones is all.
“deposited the tablet into what’s believed to be the “well of sweet water” ... records indicate that the water had gone bad by 1610 and might have contributed to numerous settlers’ deaths during what was known as the “starving time” of 1609-10.
The moral of this story is do not throw tablets into drinking wells.
This is neat. Great... grandpappy was at Jamestown so probably drank from the well. Obviously, he survived.
Lol!
Although truthfully, often if a well dried up or was abandoned it would be filled as much as possible with various debris.
So like this there are occasionally good finds.
But the best finds still come from the crapper, I can hear it now... “John, help, the baby fell in the crapper!!”
“Well, guess we’ll have another one!”
I dropped my homework down the well teacher, I swear I did.
Great....400 year old graffiti.
My two cents....Doubt the 400 year date...just because...
Might be the only way to date it is to date the stuff that was on top...
My problem observing this is that all the items are in the same direction...Sometimes you see what you want to see...
They had the contents from a well at the Busch Beer place...interesting...
Who was your relative? My ancestor was John Dods/Dodson who married Jane Eagle Plume, daughter of Chief Eagle Plume. Isn't it fortunate the Indians had English names or we'd have a hard time writing them, huh.
Or not. Could have been a kid doodling.
Why not a tablet related to sun god worship or blood sacrifice? Isn't that what the "experts" usually say when they find objects in other countries?
Very Cool Find.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.