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04 - New Discoveries at Jamestown by John L. Cotter, J. Paul Hudson · New Discoveries at Jamestown

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  Speaker 1: Section four of New Discoveries at Jamestown. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: This recording is by Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina.
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  Speaker 1: New Discoveries at Jamestown by John L. Connor and J.
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  Speaker 1: Paul Hudson. Artisans and Craftsmen. Numerous objects recovered to Jamestown
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  Speaker 1: are extremely important as they reveal the kinds of craftsmen
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  Speaker 1: and artisans who worked in Virginia's first capital, the nature
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  Speaker 1: of their tools and equipment, and examples of their handiwork
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  Speaker 1: the carpenter. Scores of tools used by the men who
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  Speaker 1: helped build the Jamestown houses have been unearthed, including chisels, augers, gouges, hammers, reamers,
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  Speaker 1: saw fragments, bits, axes and hatchets, plain blades, gimlets, files, calipers, compasses, scribers,
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  Speaker 1: nail pulls, and a sawrest. A grindstone was found in
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  Speaker 1: a refuse pit not far from the historic church tower
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  Speaker 1: the Cooper. Some tools used by the Cooper, including draw shaves, adzes,
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  Speaker 1: plane irons, and race knives, have been excavated several barrel staves,
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  Speaker 1: probably manted Jamestown, were found in a few wells. Because
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  Speaker 1: of the great demand for barrels, casks, and hogsheads, both
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  Speaker 1: in Virginia and England, the Jamestown cooper was a busy artisan.
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  Speaker 1: His products were needed at all times, especially after sixteen
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  Speaker 1: twenty when the Virginia settlers began shipping large quantities of
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  Speaker 1: tobacco to England in wooden hogsheads. Illustration caption Timbering one
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  Speaker 1: of the first English industries in the New World, painting
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  Speaker 1: by Sydney E King and of caption. Illustration caption and
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  Speaker 1: early seventeenth century two man crosscut saw end of caption,
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  Speaker 1: the woodcutter and sawyer. Numerous tools found on Jamestown Island
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  Speaker 1: relate to timbering, including felling axes, hewing axes, hatchets, saws
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  Speaker 1: and wedges, and early seventeenth century two man crosscut saw
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  Speaker 1: has been recovered almost intact. Records indicate that pitt saws
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  Speaker 1: were used, although none has been excavated. The iron worker,
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  Speaker 1: a small primitive hearth or furnace where small amounts of
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  Speaker 1: iron may have been smelted during the early part of
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  Speaker 1: the seventeenth century, was uncovered during archaeological explorations in nineteen
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  Speaker 1: fifty five. A few miles up river from Jamestown, at
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  Speaker 1: Falling Creek, the English built their first iron furnace in
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  Speaker 1: America in sixteen twenty to twenty one. Iron was smelted
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  Speaker 1: in the furnace and a few tools were forged, the
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  Speaker 1: first iron objects made in the New World by the English.
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  Speaker 1: In sixteen twenty two, the Indians massacred the iron workers
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  Speaker 1: and their families and destroyed the furnace. Although it was
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  Speaker 1: never rebuilt, its importance cannot be overstressed, for the Falling
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  Speaker 1: Creek site can rightfully claim the honor of being the
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  Speaker 1: birthplace of the American iron industry. Illustration caption a few
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  Speaker 1: of many tools unearthed at Jamestown which were used for timbering,
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  Speaker 1: felling axes, a hewing axe, ads, hatchet wedge, and saw
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  Speaker 1: fragment and of caption. Illustration caption making trials of iron.
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  Speaker 1: Evidences of an earth oven or small furnace were discovered
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  Speaker 1: at Jamestown during archaeological explorations. Small amounts of iron may
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  Speaker 1: have been smelt it in the furnace during the early
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  Speaker 1: years of the settlement. Conjectural sketch by Sydney E King
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  Speaker 1: and of caption the Blacksmith. In nineteen fifty five, archaeologists
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  Speaker 1: discovered the remnants of an early seventeenth century forge at
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  Speaker 1: the site. Blacksmith's tools, bar iron sword guards, unfinished iron objects,
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  Speaker 1: and slag were found. This gave evidence that at blacksmith
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  Speaker 1: once plied his trade, only a few yards west of
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  Speaker 1: the ancient brick church. Many blacksmiths worked at Jamestown. There
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  Speaker 1: was one among the first group of settlers. In the
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  Speaker 1: Jamestown collection are many tools which they left behind, including pliers, pincers, chisels, punches, hammers,
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  Speaker 1: and a small anvil. The boat builder. Many small boats
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  Speaker 1: were built at Jamestown. They were built by English shipwrights
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  Speaker 1: and carpenters who came from a long line of efficient craftsmen.
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  Speaker 1: These small vessels afforded the principal means of transportation through
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  Speaker 1: the uncharted wilderness tide waters of Virginia. They were used
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  Speaker 1: for fishing, trade and discovery. A few small hand wrought
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  Speaker 1: iron tools used by Jamestown boat builders have been excavated
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  Speaker 1: on the historic island the Potter. In nineteen fifty five,
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  Speaker 1: a pottery kiln site was discovered at Jamestown. Nearby was
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  Speaker 1: found many utilitary and earthenware vessels of the sixteen twenty
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  Speaker 1: five to sixteen forty period, definite evidence that pottery was
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  Speaker 1: made in Virginia over three hundred years ago. Although made
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  Speaker 1: for everyday use, many of the pieces on earth are
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  Speaker 1: symmetrical and not entirely lacking in beauty. The unknown Jamestown
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  Speaker 1: potters were artisans trained in the mysteries of an ancient craft,
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  Speaker 1: who first transplanted their skills to the Virginia Wilderness. Illustration
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  Speaker 1: caption objects found at his seventeenth century forge site at Jamestown,
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  Speaker 1: blacksmith's tools, bar iron, a few incomplete items, sword guards,
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  Speaker 1: and slag. It appears that the forge was an operation
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  Speaker 1: as early as sixteen twenty five. End of caption. Illustration
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  Speaker 1: caption building a small boat at Jamestown about sixteen fifty,
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  Speaker 1: painting by Sydney E. King. End of caption illustration caption
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  Speaker 1: boat building tools found all May before seventeen hundred. End
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  Speaker 1: of caption illustration caption earthenware vessels made at Jamestown between
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  Speaker 1: sixteen twenty five and sixteen forty, the site of an
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  Speaker 1: early seventeenth century pottery kiln was discovered on the island
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  Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty five. End of caption. Illustration caption making
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  Speaker 1: pottery at Jamestown about sixteen twenty five to sixteen forty
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  Speaker 1: painting by Sidney E. King. End of caption. Illustration caption
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  Speaker 1: artifacts found near the site of the Jamestown Glasshouse, which
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  Speaker 1: was in operation as early as sixteen oh eight. A
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  Speaker 1: small melting pot, part of a working hole. Fragment from
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  Speaker 1: large melting pot cullet, broken or refuse glass shown in
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  Speaker 1: lower left corner, and green glass fragments lower center and
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  Speaker 1: lower right. End of caption. Illustration caption blowing glass at
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  Speaker 1: Jamestown in sixteen o eight. Conjectural sketch by Sydney E. King.
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  Speaker 1: End of caption the glass blower. Glass blowers were working
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  Speaker 1: at Jamestown in sixteen o eight to nine and again
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  Speaker 1: in sixteen twenty one to twenty four. The trial glass
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  Speaker 1: they made in sixteen o eight was sent to England,
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  Speaker 1: the first glass manufactured by Englishmen in the New World.
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  Speaker 1: The small glass fragments excavated at the furnace sites do
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  Speaker 1: not reveal what was produced, but probably nothing more complicated
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  Speaker 1: than window glass, bottles and vials. And plane drinking glasses.
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  Speaker 1: It is believed that the small glass factory at Jamestown
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  Speaker 1: was the first English factory in America. The brickmaker and
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  Speaker 1: tile maker. Four brick kilns have been excavated, and two
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  Speaker 1: of them roofing tile and bricks were found. An iron spade,
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  Speaker 1: probably used in preparing the clay for brickmaking, was found
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  Speaker 1: in one of the kilns, the oldest kiln on earth,
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  Speaker 1: disbelieved to have been in use as early as sixteen
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  Speaker 1: twenty five. Many brickmakers emigrated to Jamestown during the sixteen
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  Speaker 1: hundreds the lime burner. Four lime kilns were unearthed on
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  Speaker 1: the historic island, where oyster shells from the James River
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  Speaker 1: were burned and converted into lime by the lime burner.
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  Speaker 1: As early as sixteen ten, lime burners emigrated to Virginia
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  Speaker 1: and thereafter many such workers came to the colony from England.
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  Speaker 1: Illustration caption Four brick kilns have been excavated. The one
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  Speaker 1: shown had five firing chambers. Roofing tiles were also made
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  Speaker 1: in the Jamestown brick kilns. End of caption. Illustration caption
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  Speaker 1: a seventeenth century lime kiln excavated at Jamestown in it.
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  Speaker 1: Oyster shells from the James River were burned for making lime.
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  Speaker 1: The iron hoops which supported the arch top of the
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  Speaker 1: kiln buckled from the intense heat. End of caption. Illustration
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  Speaker 1: caption making lime from oyster shells in a kiln, about
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  Speaker 1: sixteen twenty five. Conjectural sketch by Sydney E. King. End
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  Speaker 1: of caption. Other craftsmen. Contemporary records confirmed by certain objects
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  Speaker 1: found at Jamestown, especially small tools, revealed that pewterers, silversmiths, colliers, wheelwrights, calkers, bricklayers,
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  Speaker 1: mill rights, shoemakers, masons, cordage makers, tanners, tobacco pipe makers, armorers,
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  Speaker 1: gun makers, brais, and others worked in the capital city
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  Speaker 1: at various periods between sixteen oh seven and sixteen ninety nine.
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  Speaker 1: Illustration caption a silversmith weighing clipped coins. Conjectural sketch by
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  Speaker 1: Sydney E. King. End of caption illustration caption brass weights
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  Speaker 1: and a piece of scrap brass unearthed at Jamestown. Records
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  Speaker 1: indicate that many metal workers emigrated to Virginia during the
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  Speaker 1: seventeenth century. End of caption. Home industries during archaeological explorations,
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  Speaker 1: many artifacts relating to household and town industries were recovered.
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  Speaker 1: It is believed that many of these small industries were
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  Speaker 1: home activities carried on in the houses at Jamestown. A
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  Speaker 1: few of these activities and the products of them, are
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  Speaker 1: mentioned briefly, spinning and weaving. A few metal parts from
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  Speaker 1: spinning wheels and looms have been excavated, reminders that the
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  Speaker 1: pioneer house his wife, who spun the thread and yarn
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  Speaker 1: and wove the cloth for her large family, was seldom
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  Speaker 1: idle Malting and brewing. One Jamestown building or house whose
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  Speaker 1: brick foundations were discovered in nineteen fifty five appears to
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  Speaker 1: have been used for malting and brewing beer and ale,
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  Speaker 1: or carrying out some activity requiring distillation. A few pieces
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  Speaker 1: of lead were found, which may have been part of
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  Speaker 1: a lead cistern for holding barley. The three brick ovens
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  Speaker 1: that were uncovered may have been used as drying kilns.
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  Speaker 1: A handle from a copper kettle was found near one
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  Speaker 1: of the ovens, and pieces of copper and lead pipes
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  Speaker 1: were unearthed not far from the building. The structure itself
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  Speaker 1: appears to have been used between sixteen twenty five and
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  Speaker 1: sixteen sixty. Illustration caption Spinning thread or yarn and weaving
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  Speaker 1: cloth were endless chores for the women living in the
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  Speaker 1: small wilderness settlement. Conjectural scape by sydney E King and
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  Speaker 1: of caption. Illustration caption Brewing beer at Jamestown conjectural sketch
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  Speaker 1: by Sydney E King and of caption. Dairying and cheese making. Earthenware,
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  Speaker 1: milk pans, bowls and pots, iron hoops from wooden vessels
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  Speaker 1: and earthenware funnel and parts of skimmers, sieves and ladles
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  Speaker 1: have been excavated. All these are evidenced that dairying was
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  Speaker 1: an important household industry. This activity was usually carried on
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  Speaker 1: in a brick paved room with slatted windows, located on
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  Speaker 1: the northwest side of the house. Cheese as well as
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  Speaker 1: butter was probably made in the same room. Illustration caption
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  Speaker 1: lead and copper pipes, kettle fragments, a brass spigot, and
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  Speaker 1: other items found which may have been used for brewing
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  Speaker 1: or distilling purposes. And of caption. One of the largest
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  Speaker 1: objects that has been found is an earthenware baking oven,
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  Speaker 1: which was unearthed in an old ditch near the site
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  Speaker 1: of the may Hartwell House, restored from over two hundred fragments.
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  Speaker 1: The oven was probably used between sixteen fifty and sixteen ninety.
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  Speaker 1: It may have been made at Jamestown, molded of native
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  Speaker 1: clay and fired in a pottery kiln. In use, heated
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  Speaker 1: stones were placed inside the oven and left until the
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  Speaker 1: walls were hot enough for baking. Sometimes, however, the oven
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  Speaker 1: may have been placed directly on the embers of the fire.
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  Speaker 1: It undoubtedly was used out of doors near a small house.
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  Speaker 1: Associated industries. A few artifacts that have been recovered are
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  Speaker 1: associated with millers, drapers, basket makers, cutlers, tailors, barbers, net makers,
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  Speaker 1: and glovers. These tradesmen usually worked in or near their homes.
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  Speaker 1: Illustration caption earthenware, milk pan, brass, ladle, funnel, fragment and
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  Speaker 1: other items found which relate to dairying and cheese making.
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  Speaker 1: End of caption. Illustration caption baking bread in an outdoor
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  Speaker 1: baking oven about sixteen fifty. Conjectural sketch by Sydney E.
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  Speaker 1: King and of caption illustration caption. In this oven, a
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  Speaker 1: Jamestown woman baked bread over three hundred years ago. It
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  Speaker 1: appears to have been in use between sixteen fifty and
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  Speaker 1: sixteen ninety. End of caption. Illustration caption Jamestown soldiers carrying
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  Speaker 1: pole arms, a halberd and a bill. Conjectural sketch by
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  Speaker 1: sydney E King, and of caption. End of section