Carbon dating results give weight to “lost” colony evidence

WAVY ^ | June 3, 2026 | Nick Broadway

[Dr. Franklin]

A layer in the ground, dating back to the late 1500s, showed potential evidence of European blacksmithing in a Native American community. Carbon dating technology is now solidifying these finds as evidence that the “Lost Colony” was not really lost.

Many of us were taught the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island as kids. In short, the story ends with European voyagers traveling to Roanoke Island to check on colonists, finding an apparently cryptic message in a tree that said, “Croatoan.”

“That’s why it’s so insane when they push this narrative of, no one knows what Croatoan means,” Dawson said. “It’s like, you got Croatoan dudes on the ship with you.”

“I just can’t believe they’ve gotten away with it for this long,” he added.

Buxton native and owner of Lost Colony Museum and Gifts, Dawson is working alongside renowned University of Bristol archaeologist, Mark Horton. They keep finding things pointing to the possibility of this “lost colony” actually moving to modern-day Hatteras Island, living with the natives.

Since our previous coverage, digs uncovered a dress hook made of gun metal, a red brass item implying there were women colonists there. Dawson said this brass is not native to North America.

They are gradually sending finds to California for carbon dating, a scientific process which determines the age of organic material. It is costly and takes time. Their items are in line with the many items submitted by other researchers around the country.

“We got the carbon dates on, finally, four of them,” Dawson said. “Dinger, dinger, dinger, dinger. All of them were from the 1580s, so there’s no need to do that expensive test again.”

They just got carbon dating results from a fascinating find, some may call a smoking gun. In Dawson’s words, it is “one of the dopest things ever.”

He is talking about a musket ball found inside of a deer jaw bone.

“They have an armor piercing round, which is an iron core with lead around it,” Dawson explained.

With organic material surrounding this musketball, they carbon dated the deer it was lodged in.

“The iron that was inside, when it oxidized, it kind of Chia Petted out and captured the lead, so you can’t see it,” Dawson said. “You can’t carbon date a musketball, but you can carbon date a deer.”

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: bambisucks; godsgravesglyphs; lostcolony; radiocarbondating; roanoke

[Dr. Franklin]

Most likely, the Roanoke Island Colony was attacked by hostile natives. Some were killed, and others enslaved and carried off. The survivors moved to Hatteras with a friendly Indian tribe. The truth was then covered up because it was bad PR and could have led to a war with the hostile Indians, if they could be found.

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[PghBaldy]

Worth a read for the amusing lingo alone ;)

[Red Badger]

I think they moved to Hatteras Island for whatever reason, then they were hit by a hurricane and they all perished................😓

[PLMerite]

"With organic material surrounding this musketball, they carbon dated the deer it was lodged in."

The final indignity.

[bk1000]

Y’all got any more of them Croatoan?

[Dr. Franklin]

I think they moved to Hatteras Island for whatever reason, then they were hit by a hurricane and they all perished................😓

More likely, they just intermarried with the locals:
Evidence Grows, the Lost Colony Split Up

[TexasFreeper2009]

could have moved to Hatteras Island like you said and then spread diseases to the natives there that had no immunity to them, resulting in everyone dying.

[Red Badger]

Quite possible. Pocahontas died of TB, IIRC.......

[TexasFreeper2009]

It is rather ironic that the New World was discovered just as some of the deadliest diseases in human history were sweeping Europe.

And the early explorers brought them all here to share with the natives.

[Dr. Franklin]

It is rather ironic that the New World was discovered just as some of the deadliest diseases in human history were sweeping Europe.
And the early explorers brought them all here to share with the natives.

Sharing is caring.
Diversity has always been our strength. /s

[Deaf Smith]

>>to share with the natives

————————-

And the natives gave the Europeans syphilis to take back to the old world.

[Red Badger]

They took some back to Europe too!.........

[SunkenCiv]

[Dr. Franklin]

Quite possible. Pocahontas died of TB, IIRC.......

Nah, she got elected to the U.S. Senate and represents Massachusetts now...

[Red Badger]

That’s Fauxcahontas!...........

[bigbob]

Their descendants are living happily on planet Croatoan.

[Keyhopper]

Isn’t diversity great or what

[scrabblehack]

So they came back 3 years later and couldn’t find anyone who spoke English? I’d say it was a lost colony. I’ve lost my keys before — yeah, they were there all along but they were lost.

[Dr. Franklin]

So they came back 3 years later and couldn’t find anyone who spoke English? I’d say it was a lost colony. I’ve lost my keys before — yeah, they were there all along but they were lost.

According to William Strachey's 1612 account of the Roanoke Colony, Chief Wahunsenacawh/Powhatan directed the slaughter of the colonists, and only seven escaped. They fled up the Chowan River and survived beating out copper for the natives:
Investigations into Roanoke: 1610–1612:William Strachey
The The Chowan River Dare Stone supports this theory:
ANANIAS DARE & VIRGINIA WENT HENCE VNTO HEAVEN 1591 ANYE ENGLISHMAN SHEW JOHN WHITE GOVR VIA
Translation:
Ananias Dare & Virginia went hence unto Heaven, 1591 Any Englishman show [this rock to] John White, Governor of Virginia
The other side elaborates:
FATHER SOONE AFTER YOV GOE FOR ENGLANDE WEE CAM HITHER ONLIE MISARIE & WARRE TOW YEERE ABOVE HALFE DEADE ERE TOW YEERE MORE FROM SICKNES BEINE FOVRE & TWENTIE SALVAGE WITH MESSAGE OF SHIPP VNTO US SMAL SPACE OF TIME THEY AFFRITE OF REVENGE RANN AL AWAYE WEE BLEEVE YT NOTT YOV SOONE AFTER YE SALVAGES FAINE SPIRTS ANGRIE SVDDIANE MVRTHER AL SAVE SEAVEN MINE CHILDE ANANIAS TO SLAINE WTH MVCH MISARIE BVRIE AL NEERE FOVRE MYLES EASTE THIS RIVER VPPON SMAL HILL NAMES WRIT AL THER ON ROCKE PVTT THIS THEIR ALSOE SALVAGE SHEW THIS VNTO YOV & HITHER WEE PROMISE YOV TO GIVE GREATE PLENTIE PRESENTS
Translation:
Father, soon after you go for England, we came here. Only misery and war [for] two years. Above half dead these two years, more from sickness, being twenty-four. [A] Savage with [a] message of [a] ship came to us. [Within a] small space of time, they [became] frightened of revenge [and] ran all away. We believe it [was] not you. Soon after, the savages said spirits [were] angry. Suddenly [they] murdered all save seven. My child [and] Ananias, too, [were] slain with much misery. Buried all near four miles east [of] this river, upon [a] small hill. Names [were] written all there on [a] rock. Put this there also. [If a] Savage shows this to you, we promised you [would] give [them] great plenty presents. EWD.