In Jamestown Lies America’s Oldest Tombstone, Made Of Black Limestone And Imported From Belgium
The oldest tombstone in the United States is located in Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in America. It was founded in 1607 and has been the subject of many archaeological and historical studies.
In the most recent study, experts set out to determine the origins of the black “marble” tombstone. Its design may connect it to an English knight. The study was led by Markus Key, a professor at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, and Rebecca Rossi.
While analyzing colonial black “marble” tombstones from the Chesapeake Bay region, Key and colleagues discovered that the oldest one was the knight’s tombstone, which dates back to 1627.
“The particular historical archaeological question we were trying to answer was: How extensive was the trade network in the Chesapeake Bay during colonial times?” Key said. “Little did we realize that colonists were ordering black marble tombstones from Belgium like we order items from Amazon, just a lot slower.”
The researchers examined microfossils in the knight’s tombstone and identified four species that do not co-exist in North America, indicating that the stone was imported from northern Europe.
According to historical evidence, Belgium was the most likely source. The stone was probably transferred from Belgium to London, England, and finally shipped to Jamestown.
The well-to-do English colonists during the 17th century often commissioned stunning tombstones for themselves to show off their wealth. Usually, they were made of black “marble” in the Chesapeake Bay region.
However, in historical documents, any stone that could be polished was referred to as marble. In reality, the tombstones, including the Jamestown knight’s, were made from black limestone.
“The jet-black Belgian ‘marbles’ were the most in-demand and expensive. Successful Virginia colonists who had lived in London would have been familiar with the latest English fashions and tried to replicate these in the colonies,” wrote the study authors.
New Africa – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
The knight’s tombstone had carved depressions, indicating that it was once fitted with brass inlays. They were likely destroyed in 1676 during Bacon’s Rebellion.
The inlays included a shield, which may have depicted an unfurled scroll, a family crest, and an armored man standing on top of a pedestal that may have featured inscriptions.
The right and left of the man’s body showed protrusions that suggested a sword hilt and a shield. Together, these clues led to the conclusion that the tombstone belonged to a knight.
There were only two knights in Jamestown who died during the life of the second Jamestown church between 1617 and 1637.
One was Sir Thomas West, the first resident governor of the colony. He died in 1618 while on a transatlantic voyage to Jamestown. No evidence linked him to the tombstone.
The other knight was Sir George Yeardley, who was born in England. He first came to Jamestown in 1610 after being shipwrecked in Bermuda.
He returned to England in 1617 for a short time and then went back to Jamestown a year later. He died there in 1627.
If the knight’s tombstone was Yeardley’s, it may be the oldest known tombstone in what is now the U.S. Native Americans most certainly had earlier grave markers, but they were probably made out of wood and did not survive.
Overall, the research helps us understand more about the extent of trade networks during colonial times and what lengths colonists would go to acquire materials and goods that were not available in the American colonies.
The study was published in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology.
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