r/exning

In 2012, archaeologists from the Jamestown Rediscovery Project found the mutilated skull and a leg bone of a young English girl in the basement of a building constructed in 1608, within what was Fort James. The remains were mixed with the severed bones of horses and dogs, indicating that these animals were also eaten during a winter of extreme hunger that began with 300 settlers inside the fort and ended with only 60 survivors.

Researchers named her "Jane" because they were never able to identify her. By analyzing the development of her molars and the growth of her tibia, the team determined that she was approximately 14 years old at the time of her death. Only about 10% of her complete skeleton was recovered. Dr. Douglas Owsley, a forensic anthropologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, analyzed the bones. According to his report, the skull first received four shallow blows to the forehead, a failed attempt to open it. Then, the body was turned over and received four more forceful blows to the back of the head, one of which split the skull in two. Finally, a knife was used to finish opening it and remove the brain. The team used CT scans and 3D models to reconstruct the skull.

The historical context explains why this happened. In late 1609, a hurricane had destroyed almost an entire fleet of ships bringing supplies from England. The Powhatan people, at war with the settlers, besieged the fort and prevented them from leaving to forage for food. Without food and unable to escape, the settlers first ate horses, dogs, rats, and snakes. Later, they resorted to eating the dead.

An isotope study of Jane's molars revealed high levels of nitrogen, indicating that she consumed a lot of protein during her lifetime, an expensive and scarce food at the time. This suggests that Jane may have belonged to a high-status family or served as a domestic servant for one. It could not be determined whether she was murdered or had already died from another cause when she was consumed.

Archaeologist William Kelso, in his book Jamestown: The Truth Revealed, argues that the combination of archaeology, forensic science, and historical records constitutes irrefutable proof of anthropophagy in Jamestown. Jane would not have been an isolated case: chronicles of the time mention at least six separate accounts of anthropophagy during that winter, although until the 2012 discovery, they had never been physically corroborated.