Lost Colony May Have Been Found

 

The mystery surrounding Lost Colony history has been the subject of many American history classes. Due to the great disappearance of over 100 colonists, Roanoke Island has attracted history buffs and ghost hunters for years, each hoping to be the one who cracked the code. Now it looks like new findings have finally uncovered the truth behind the Lost Colony disappearances.

The settlement of Roanoke Island happened to coincide with the worst three-year drought in the previous 800, according to tree rings. The mystery of the Lost Colony began when supply shipments from England were halted for about three years. Just for the historical perspective, Roanoke has been a huge playground for anyone interested in history. Another big draw for the island has been people hoping to catch a glimpse of a ghost. About 45% of Americans believe in ghosts according to a survey, and many have flocked to the Lost Colony in hopes of solving the mystery by hearing the tale from the source.

The new findings, however, are entirely scientific. A map from the explorer who settled Roanoke had never been examined with newer technologies like infrared lenses. So in 2012, researchers took the map out, and found that the explorer had marked a site about 60 miles inland from Roanoke. This, in addition to the earlier finding of the word “Croatoan” in a fence post, led them to believe the colonists split up. Some of them moved to another island — Croatoan — while others went to what they dubbed “Site X.”

When archaeologists started to dig near site X, they found around 30 artifacts dating back to the Lost Colony era, suggesting that at least some of the colonists ended up there. While it doesn’t explain the entire mystery, it is enough for historians to confidently state that rather than a mysterious disappearance, the Lost Colony likely just broke off into separate settlements.