Posted on 01/08/2023 8:30:32 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Indigenous dogs roamed Jamestown in the early 17th century, and out of desperation during harsh winter months, some colonists ate them, researchers have proven.
A team of archaeologists at the University of Iowa was able to extract DNA from remains found at Jamestown and confirm that they belonged to ancient dogs that were likely wolf or coyote-sized.
It's the first time proof has ever been found that indigenous dogs were at Jamestown in the 17th century. The bones are part of an artifact collection owned by Jamestown Rediscovery, part of the historic preservation group called Preservation Virginia.
"They have lineages reaching back to some of the earliest introduction of dogs to North America, so around ... 13,000 years ago," said Ariane Thomas, a Ph.D. student at the University of Iowa.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
How do we know that Jamestown was not settled by the Chinese?
When in doubt, consult Pocahontas.
Did they find a wet market and lab?
Bammie frequented the local Chinese chowhall where he ordered Kung Pao Bow Wow.
Since the rather worthless settler population dissipated their food supply and felt growing crops was unimportant compared to their insane search for ‘gold’ and they ended up eating first the corpses of dead settlers and then killing and eating the live ones during the winter called ‘the Starving Time’ eating dogs seems very logical.
Is it really surprising that ice age humans had dogs and that they traveled with them when they traveled to North America from Asia? Or that hungry people ate wolves, coyotes, or dogs in 17th century America?
“They have lineages reaching back to some of the earliest introduction of dogs to North America, so around ... 13,000 years ago,” said Ariane Thomas, a Ph.D. student at the University of Iowa.”
Not gonna comment on the eating of doggies as I wasn’t there and not enduring their situation, but God sure created a wonderful friend to man with the doggie. I wish all of them could be treated with love and respect. It makes me so sad to see on You Tube what some of them have to experience all over this planet.
The settlers at Jamestown were more middle class adventurers than actual settlers. They expected to stride out into the forests and stumble upon gold, silver and jewels. They didn’t have a clue about what it took to survive away from civilization.
Word was sent back to England that clerks, adventurers and ne’er do wells the colony had an abundance of. What was needed was successful farmers, craftsmen and tradesmen. The next trip to Jamestown consisted of mainly Polish farmers and craftsmen. With their arrival the colony began to prosper.
Maybe these weren’t doggies, but coyotes or wolves?
That’s certainly a view you don’t hear much in Virginia.
The initial settlers were a mix of dead broke younger sons and rabble. Few survived and the real backbone of the colonial gentry only arrived after tobacco cultivation had created a basis for real prosperity. George Washington’s first ancestor to settle in the colony was a man who was a supercargo on merchant ships trading to Virginia and therefore came to understand the economic structure of the colony. He was a son of the Washington clan settled in London whose prosperity was based on being trading merchants, not land lords.
And fight over the bones!
It makes sense that native dogs would flow over to Jamestown. Straying dogs will try to set up a relationship with any humans they meet.
For instance, the native Tasmanian's never had dogs but when the English arrived, a few of their dogs strayed over to the Tasmanian settlements and set up a relationship with them.
Bagged a yote one fall. Took the precaution skinned him out. I’ll be danged if those hams didn’t look good.
It was better for our ancestors to eat dogs instead of their fellow humans.:
Scientists Find Cannibalism at American Settlement (Jamestown, VA)
U-T San Diego ^ | May 1, 2013 | Brett Zongker
Posted on 5/2/2013, 6:50:53 PM by DogByte6RER
Jamestown colony photo: jamestown-colony-1.jpg
Scientists find cannibalism at American settlement
WASHINGTON — Scientists say they have found the first solid archaeological evidence that some of the earliest American colonists survived harsh conditions by resorting to cannibalism.
On Wednesday, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and archaeologists from Jamestown announced the discovery of the bones of a 14-year-old girl with clear signs that she was cannibalized.
The human remains date back to the deadly winter of 1609-1610, known as the “starving time” in Jamestown, when hundreds of colonists died. Scientists have said the settlers arrived from England during the worst drought in 800 years.
For years, there had been unconfirmed tales of starving early colonists resorting to eating dogs, mice, snakes, shoe leather and even their own dead.
Starving people will eat ANYTHING! Including other people.
If they had brought what we would consider middle class Yeomen or tradesmen it would have done much better.
Yup, there were some FR topics about that too, they (at least should be) linked above, in that fine mess o' links. Of course, there are real health risks eating human flesh, at least with a dog you know you've got a best friend. ;^)
Remains of ancient, indigenous dogs found at Jamestown, as well as proof people ate them
The first hot dogs were from Jamestown....
True about the middle class, I guess my mind f#rted when one of the other posters said something about middle class. Thanks for the correction.
The Gentry had the time to go haring off to the new world because they didn’t have to worry about anything as tawdry as earning a living, that was for commoners.
What they COULD do was pay their way.
In an era when the eldest son usually inherited everything, haring off to the new world might seem less chancey than hoping big brother didn’t turn you out.
The Yeoman class would have been perfect.
All of them worked hard and the vast majority had military experience. Most of them had gotten their little plot of land by serving in this or that war, one expedition or another.
And they sure would have picked a better spot for a colony!
Carolina dingoes. They make great companion dogs. There are reputedky a few still in the wild in the Great Smokkues-Blue Ridge.
Probably better to eat Lassie than a family member in early Jamestown.
Starvation Cannibalism at Jamestown
Bones Don’t Lie ^ | 5-2-2013 | Katy Myers
Posted on 1/19/2014, 4:03:14 AM by Renfield
If you’ve read any news in the past day, you’ve seen reports regarding cannibalism in colonial Jamestown. It was known prior that the colonists had undergone a number of starvation years where they were forced to eat foods that they wouldn’t normally. The trash pits from the sites hold the remains of animals who aren’t normally butchered, including horses, cats, dogs, rats and snakes.
Burials from this period are not given the complete funerary treatment likely due to the high number of deaths, and the skeletons show evidence of nutritional hardship and early death.
The colony was founded in 1607 and by 1608 only 38 remained, the others succumbing to starvation and disease. The following winter their supply ship didn’t arrive, and they faced the harshest winter yet. This is when cannibalism is thought to have occurred.
In 1625, George Percy, the president of Jamestown during this starvation period, wrote a letter describing this period. He wrote “Haveinge fedd upon our horses and other beastes as longe as they Lasted, we weare gladd to make shifte with vermin as doggs Catts, Ratts and myce…as to eate Bootes shoes or any other leather… And now famin beginneinge to Looke gastely and pale in every face, thatt notheinge was Spared to mainteyne Lyfe and to doe those things which seame incredible, as to digge upp deade corpes outt of graves and to eate them. And some have Licked upp the Bloode which hathe fallen from their weake fellowes.”
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