Emily Chan
After hundreds of years, the closely guarded secret of a family of Jamestown colonists has been spilled, thanks to a DNA study.
Researchers examined two human skeletons that were buried at the church in Jamestown and found a 400-year-old case of illegitimacy in the family.
The church at Jamestown stood from 1608 to 1616. The chancel refers to the space around the altar.
Jamestown was founded in 1607 and was the first permanent English settlement in North America. It was the capital of the Virginia colony until 1699 when the seat of government was moved to Williamsburg. Today, the historic site is located in what is now Williamsburg, Virginia.
Based on where they were buried, the human remains of the two individuals were thought to be some of the earliest Jamestown colonists.
“These graves were purposely buried near the altar in the Church chancel,” said William Kelso, a co-author of the study and emeritus director of archaeology at Jamestown Rediscovery. “This prominent location suggests the graves contained the remains of high-status individuals.”
To determine the identities of the individuals, researchers from the Reich Lab at Harvard University decided to perform a DNA analysis of the remains.
According to the Smithsonian Institution, it was the first time that ancient DNA was successfully used for identification at the colonial site.
After analyzing the DNA, the research team cross-checked the test results with historical records, archaeological findings, and skeletal evidence.
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