Pit 1 was the first part of Jamestown to be excavated. Over
30,000 artifacts were found in this 20x16 feet pit. And, 30,000 more artifacts
were found in the plow zone just above the pit.
Dr. Kelso told me
that he unearthed sherds of seventeenth century pottery within minutes of
digging. It was 4 April 1994 when he first pricked the ground – most folks
probably thought he was part of the maintenance crew. They kept picnicking while the seventh-graders climbed on the statues.
But Dr. Kelso
continued to trim that first hole. He knew that he had discovered something
significant. He had done his homework and picked a ripe spot: a slight
depression in the soil between the church tower and the river. He had a keen
eye.
 |
| Elizabethan half-groat with hand mint mark located just above the crown. It is perfect relic. |
The exact spot was
located at the edge of the “Barracks” – a mud-and-stud, earth-fast building
that probably dated to 1607 or 1608. During a recent visit, I made a point of
standing on the very ground where his shovel started the Rediscovery. See blog post from 2/14/16 to see a picture of the Barracks.
Pit 1 was actually composed
of five pits, all dug at different times before the fort clean-up of 1610 (in the wake of the starving time that previous winter).
Three coins were
found in Pit 1. These were the first numismatic finds from the early fort that
were in a sealed archeological context.
In addition, four jettons and a lead token were found nearby.
Today I profile one of these coins: an Elizabethan
half-groat or two-pence. The one found at Jamestown was cut in half, so only a
penny was actually unearthed. This was the first silver coin found at the site, as the
other two coins were Irish coppers.
The half-groat
dated between 1590 and 1592 as evidenced by the “hand” mintmark. It is not a
rare piece, but finding one with the correct mintmark will take some patience.
I wanted one from the ground; so I waited until a metal-detectorist offered one
for sale – of course, it was dug in England (and not Jamestown).
For the collector
of North American colonial coins, this half-groat should be on your list. There
was not much of an economy in the early fort days, but the colonists had a few
coins in their pouches, and the records suggest that they traded with the
sailors. So, there was an economy.
Among the artifacts
in Pit 1 were nearly forty vessels (including a Bartmann jug), musket parts and
shot, edged weapons, two helmets, and over 80 trade beads. There were many pipe
fragments and sherds of stoneware, plus molten glass slag. What a collection
this would make. Just like the half-groat, similar artifacts are available to the
collector from English treasure hunters.
When
all this stuff is put together: magic happens. And, the necromancer is
transported back, way back. Sixteen-Ten.
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