El Tejon
Member
Were, you are ignoring the fact that Europeans are soooo much better than Americans. What about that?
400-year-old pistol found on site of first American colonists
- Thread starter TallPine
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Well - no - I hadn't considered that? The Euros in their infinitely superior wisdom exploited, oppressed and killed for the good of those upon whom they inflicted themselves while Americans on the other hand did it just for the land and money.
Why - hell! That does put an entirely different light on the subject doesn't it.
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Limeyfellow
Member
For all we know the pistol could have diliberatly been put down the well to hide a crime or any number of reasons. Theres really no evidence to say why that and a helbard is down there. The pot is more explainable.
Oh and its not even the first settlement by the British in the americas. We had Roanoke Island in 1587 which is the first known settlement. We also had the Popham Colony settled in the same year of James Town in 1607. James Town just lasted longer than the other early colonies.
What really makes me cry is the number of people who believe that Plymouth Rock was the first settlement and how they teach that junk in schools and churches and such around the world.
Even though they are some nice finds. All I end up finding are things like small bits of pottery, animal bones and small parts of tools when I am really lucky.
- Most unluckly archaeologist in the world.
Oh and its not even the first settlement by the British in the americas. We had Roanoke Island in 1587 which is the first known settlement. We also had the Popham Colony settled in the same year of James Town in 1607. James Town just lasted longer than the other early colonies.
What really makes me cry is the number of people who believe that Plymouth Rock was the first settlement and how they teach that junk in schools and churches and such around the world.
Even though they are some nice finds. All I end up finding are things like small bits of pottery, animal bones and small parts of tools when I am really lucky.
- Most unluckly archaeologist in the world.
I wonder how it got there? That is the cool thing about Archaeology, it tells a story sometimes and you get to imagine the rest of the way.
My guess is that is that somebody threw it down there. If they had dropped it, I think they would have gone down after it. A pistol in those days was very expensive and only the rich would have one. The owner could send a child into the well to get it for him. That is how all those kids get stuck in wells!
My guess is that is that somebody threw it down there. If they had dropped it, I think they would have gone down after it. A pistol in those days was very expensive and only the rich would have one. The owner could send a child into the well to get it for him. That is how all those kids get stuck in wells!
straightShot
Member
That's a neat find. I had ancestors at Jamestown. I wonder if it should be given to me since I'm a surviving heir!
(Seeing that this is 15 generations later, I suppose that we'd need to cut it into 100,000 pieces to divide it up equally and give everyone a share!)
(Seeing that this is 15 generations later, I suppose that we'd need to cut it into 100,000 pieces to divide it up equally and give everyone a share!)
CajunBass
Member
Yes, the Spanish had several settlements in the New World by the time of Jamestown. Jamestown was the first permanent ENGLISH settlement in the New World. I have always heard it refered to as such.
Roanoke was the first English settlement, but the colony failed for reasons that history has never established.
Jamestown almost failed, after the disasterous winter of 1609/1610 if my Virginia history class from 40 years or so ago is still fresh in my memory. The survivors had boarded ships, and sailed down the James River before meeting relief ships from England at the mouth of the Chesapeake bay.
Roanoke was the first English settlement, but the colony failed for reasons that history has never established.
Jamestown almost failed, after the disasterous winter of 1609/1610 if my Virginia history class from 40 years or so ago is still fresh in my memory. The survivors had boarded ships, and sailed down the James River before meeting relief ships from England at the mouth of the Chesapeake bay.
Seven High
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Hopefully they don't find the words "Dixie Gun Works" somewhere on it!
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
From an archaeological perspective, wells represent or can represent nifty time capsules of sorts as they are often a fairly well protected and quickly buried environment. Relatively quick burial and anaerobic environment kept fairly constant, such as kept wet meant it was a stable environment largely free of many of the chemical and biological threats that would ruin items simply recovered subsurface that get wet, dry out, get wet, dry out, freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw, etc.
If the pistol was found in the well as reported, it likely was not "lost" in the well as that would have been an unusual place to lose such as item. It is noted here, http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/healthscience/scienceenvironment/article_1223231.php that the pistol could have been lost by somebody who put it down next to the well while getting a drink and it got knocked in, but you have to realize that the well was hand dug, not very deep, only about 12-15 feet, and an item of such value and rarity in the new world would have been retrieved had the owner known he (probably 'he') put it next to the well and it got knocked in by accident. Notice in the article here that the archaeologists were digging through trash in the well. So the well was used as a trash pit. Also note that a halberd and serveral other items were found inside as well, largely intact. These were not "lost" items that just were dropped in by accident, but instead were likely intentionally deposited there for whatever reason, potentially as items that could not be taken with the colonists when they "left" Jamestown or were put there to keep them from falling into the hands of the Native Americans...much like was supposedly done with some of the weaponry at the Alamo.
Excavations of wells can provide very interesting and well preserved materials as can excavations of privies. In both cases, confined and below ground excavations can be very dangerous due to wall collapse and gasses such as methane and carbon dioxide.
If the pistol was found in the well as reported, it likely was not "lost" in the well as that would have been an unusual place to lose such as item. It is noted here, http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/healthscience/scienceenvironment/article_1223231.php that the pistol could have been lost by somebody who put it down next to the well while getting a drink and it got knocked in, but you have to realize that the well was hand dug, not very deep, only about 12-15 feet, and an item of such value and rarity in the new world would have been retrieved had the owner known he (probably 'he') put it next to the well and it got knocked in by accident. Notice in the article here that the archaeologists were digging through trash in the well. So the well was used as a trash pit. Also note that a halberd and serveral other items were found inside as well, largely intact. These were not "lost" items that just were dropped in by accident, but instead were likely intentionally deposited there for whatever reason, potentially as items that could not be taken with the colonists when they "left" Jamestown or were put there to keep them from falling into the hands of the Native Americans...much like was supposedly done with some of the weaponry at the Alamo.
Excavations of wells can provide very interesting and well preserved materials as can excavations of privies. In both cases, confined and below ground excavations can be very dangerous due to wall collapse and gasses such as methane and carbon dioxide.
Kymasabe
Member
You think a Hi-Point would last that long if I tossed it down a well?
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