In May 1607, three ships arrived at Jamestown bearing settlers who would establish the first enduring English colony in North America. Although it initially struggled to survive, the settlement eventually prospered and became the capital of Virginia. Jamestown is best known for its inhabitants John Smith and Pocahontas; however, it should also be remembered for its role in the establishment of the English language, Protestant faith, and representative government in America. The site of the 1607 James Fort and 17th-century city have been preserved through the efforts of Preservation Virginia and the National Park Service. A popular tourist destination since the 19th century, Historic Jamestowne has welcomed millions of visitors over the years, many of whom attended the 1907 Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition and the 1957 Jamestown Festival, which celebrated Jamestown's important legacy as America's birthplace.

Encountering evidence of postmortem examinations - dissection or autopsy in historic skeletal collections is relatively rare, but recently there has been an increase in the number of reported instances. And much of what has been evaluated has been largely descriptive and historical. The Bioarchaeology of Dissection and Autopsy brings together in a single volume the skeletal evidence of postmortem examination in the United States. Ranging from the early colonial period to the early 1900’s, from a coffeehouse at Colonial Williamsburg to a Quaker burial vault in lower Manhattan, the contributions to this volume demonstrate the interpretive significance of a historically and theoretically contextualized bioarchaeology. The authors employ a wide range of perspectives, demonstrating how bioarchaeological evidence can be used to address a wide range of themes including social identity and marginalization, racialization, the nature of the body and fragmentation, and the emergence of medical practice and authority in the United States.​

Amy L. Young is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Southern Mississippi. ...

A New York Times Notable Book and aSan Jose Mercury News Top 20 Nonfiction Book of 2003In 1606, approximately 105 British colonists sailed to America, seeking gold and a trade route to the Pacific. Instead, they found disease, hunger, and hostile natives. Ill prepared for such hardship, the men responded with incompetence and infighting; only the leadership of Captain John Smith averted doom for the first permanent English settlement in the New World.The Jamestown colony is one of the great survival stories of American history, and this book brings it fully to life for the first time. Drawing on extensive original documents, David A. Price paints intimate portraits of the major figures from the formidable monarch Chief Powhatan, to the resourceful but unpopular leader John Smith, to the spirited Pocahontas, who twice saved Smith’s life. He also gives a rare balanced view of relations between the settlers and the natives and debunks popular myths about the colony. This is a superb work of history, reminding us of the horrors and heroism that marked the dawning of our nation.