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Efforts of a Virginia Tradesman 1670s
The early English settlers came to Virginia looking for gold, silver, and precious gems, but never found them. Some of the artifacts they left behind, however, are highly valuable to the archaeologists who excavated Jamestown centuries later.
One such artifact lay in the ruins of a structure built for Ann Talbott around 1660, and later owned by George Marable. The building had a floor paved with brick and a substantial seven by three foot hearth with connected oven. It may have been a dwelling or workshop used for light industry like commercial brewing or baking.
The unusual artifact that impressed archaeologists is a simple pewter spoon found in the yard. Although only the handle survived, its 1675 maker's mark identified it as the work of Joseph Copeland, a craftsman who worked 30 miles down river from Jamestown at Chuckatuck.
The spoon handle is the oldest, dated pewter artifact of North American origin in existence. |