Mystery of the fate of Lost Colony finally solved after 435 years

Researchers believe they may have finally solved the mystery behind the disappearance of the infamous Lost Colony of the 16th century following a new discovery.

The so-called Lost Colony refers to 118 English settlers who vanished from Roanoke Island in North Carolina sometime after they set up in 1587.

For centuries historians have speculated on whether the group evert made it to Croatoan as they seemed to suggest.

Now, researchers believe they did actually migrate there and assimilated with the Native Americans after finding iron filings known as hammerscale in a trash heap on Hatteras Island, Fox News Digital reports.

Hammerscale are flaky bits that contains iron forging byproducts, which the Native Americans would not have had yet, but English colonists would have been well–versed in.

Their disappearance left centuries of people wondering if the colonists were killed or if they had immigrated to a new home.

This changed with the discovery of the hammerscale, which was accurately dated due to its position in the soil, buried in layers researchers say would have come from that century.

The team also found guns, nautical fittings, small cannonballs, and more, they told Fox News Digital.

I would doubt that - if they managed to find a group that would allow them to assimilate, they were likely happy to do so.

To put it bluntly, people were cheap, and they likely realized they were just abandoned there.

Thanks for the pings!

from the FRchives, sorted:

This 425-year-old map may have just solved the ancient mystery of the vanished Roanoke colonists [01/31/2025]
Archaeologists Unearth New Clues That Could Help Solve Centuries-Old "LOST COLONY" MYSTERY [05/14/2024]
One Of US History's Greatest Mysteries Happened 433 Years Ago Today [08/18/2023]
Sir Walter Raleigh's Colony Vanished Over 400 Years Ago. Scientists Are Still Looking [09/16/2021]
Archaeologists getting closer to figuring out what happened to Lost Colony, expert says [03/01/2019]
This Day in History: Virginia Dare is Born [08/18/2018]
Have We Found the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island? [12/10/2013]
Ancient Map Gives Clue to Fate of 'Lost Colony' (Britain's Roanoke Island in the Late 16th Century) [05/05/2012]
Researchers say they have new clue to Lost Colony [05/04/2012]
Is this Walter Raleigh's 'lost colony' drawn in invisible ink?.. [05/03/2012]
Man spends life researching Lost Colony mystery [10/17/2010]
The lost tribe of South Carolina [07/05/2009]
Scholars seek to spread word on Sir Walter Raleigh [History of the World vol I] [02/24/2009]
Roanoke Island: What Happened to the Lost Colonists of 1587? [02/01/2009]
Search For Lost Colony Goes High-Tech [02/04/2008]
Archaeologist takes 2nd look at cannon Found off Virginia coast. How did it get there? [09/25/2007]
Fire destroys Lost Colony buildings [and costumes] Roanoke Island, NC [09/11/2007]
Researchers Seek DNA Link to Lost Colony [06/11/2007]
History Buff Thinks He Has Found 1585 English Fort - Tract Predates Lost Colony [03/03/2007]
1585 trip may have aided later voyagers [01/24/2007]
History buff searches for Lost Colony[Roanoke] [10/25/2006]
Volunteers To Dig Into Croatan Indian Village Site Again ("Lost Colony") [05/28/2006]
America's Lost Colony: Can New Dig Solve Mystery? [03/03/2004]
Archaeologist promises to return Croatan ring (N.C. / Lost Colony) [09/04/2002]

Very interesting and proof that we aren’t alone. We are as much a part of the red man’s culture as they are of ours. And it drives the left crazy!

OT: Oklahoma is full of blue eyed “Cherokee”. ( they have no standard blood quantum. If you can prove you have ANY degree of Cherokee blood, no matter how small, you will be admitted to the tribe. I’m talking as small as tiny fractions of 2,000ths!)

Hmmm. I think you’re onto something. Admittedly I’m descended from the toddler who was left behind when grandma was kidnapped, and reunited 40 years later. Still he had a Comanche half-sibling from when his mom got raped by her captors, but I think that’s close enough for me to claim Indian heritage. I will include my recipe for tater tot casserole for the next edition of Pow Wow Chow, in celebration of my Indian heritage

But let me ask you this: Grandma became quite prosperous merchant; she had a general store/ trading post for decades. But, per St Louis city tax records she had…. Ahem… five slaves. Shouldn’t we just cancel her altogether?

The difference for historians is that in this case, reliable professional archaeological evidence was required for definitive proof. Folklore, genetic evidence, and conjectures based on old documents got most of the way there but not quite across the goal line.

Maybe the Croatoans slaughtered them, plundered the settlement and threw out the items when no long useful?

Because where were the ‘assimilated’ settlers when the next ship arrived 3 years later? Oh, that’s right they were in hiding. Fearful and distrustful of Da Whyte Mans who be opressin.

“New information for those that actually read the article.”

Thanks, I caught the information when reading the article.

Headline: “Mystery of the fate of Lost Colony FINALLY solved after 435 years.”

First Sentence: “Researchers BELIEVE they MAY have finally solved the mystery...”

My point was that, with a lot of these rehashed historical stories, the reader is still often left wondering, “Well, okay, it could have been this, or could of been that, or could have been something else.”

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.