There was so much to see that we actually didn't get to it all. It was fascinating to step back in time and imagine what life must have been like for those settlers and Native Americans. I was totally impressed with the canoe we found (see pic in slide show) it was a giant hallowed out tree trunk, carved by hand of course! The settlers learned to make them from the Powhatan. They would create a slow burn of the wood and then carve out the center of the trunk.
Another thing that shocked me was climbing aboard the Susan Constant, the flagship that brought the settlers to America. There were 54 original passengers and 17 crew members on board in very close quarters. Even the Captain had but a small closet...at least he had a window though, which is more than the crew had in amenities. And the beds were so small! An average size man today would have to sleep with his knees curled up in a bed that size.
When the settlers left for the New World the hull was completely full of cargo, and the lower deck, which housed all of the passengers and some crew, was about half full of cargo. So, they made their beds on flimsy mattresses atop 3 feet of barrels and trunks and supplies. And the chamber pots they used...yikes! Imagine the sickness, the stench, the misery...it boggles the mind!
We spent a day walking through living history and it was an eye opening adventure! If you get the chance to visit, you'll surely be impressed.
To find out more about historic Jamestown visit this curriculum page.
Cool slide show, but before that cannon pic enlarged? It looked like a vacuum cleaner, lol. I was puzzled. ha ha.
I was actually here many years ago and now I want to go back! Great post!
great blog keep up the good work
Oh, I'm jealous! We're doing the American colonial period in our homeschool now and would love to actually see some of the historical sites, but, alas, we live away off in Idaho.
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