Expert who identified Richard III to investigate American mystery
THE British geneticist who identified Richard III has been called in to help archaeologists determine if a headless Jamestown skeleton is the lost remains of Sir George Yeardley.
The colonial governor, born in London in 1587, is widely regarded as the saviour of Jamestown, the first permanent British colony in America, which was on the brink of collapse when he arrived. It had suffered huge losses and had resorted to cannibalism, but Sir George implemented an English judicial system and presided over the Virginia Assembly, the first representative government in America.
Now experts excavating Jamestown think they may have found his remains, and have asked Dr Turi King of Leicester University to help.
The skeleton was in the central aisle of a church which would have been reserved for high status members of the colony, and appears to be the same age of Sir George, who was 39 when he died.
The grave appears to be aligned with the church’s foundations, indicating it was dug before the church was dismantled in 1639, 12 years after Sir George’s death.
Over the next few months the team will use the latest technology to try to identify the remains. Professor King said: “It’s a tremendous honour to be involved in the project. Just as in the Richard III case, I hope to extract DNA from the remains and match it against living relatives.”
The skeleton is headless, but archaeologists have found an extra skull in a later burial that cut through the grave. Dr King will compare teeth found in the original grave to see if they match the skull. Professor Kevin Schurer, from Leicester University, is also working with the Jamestown team to locate living descendants of Sir George. He said: “Sir George was a central figure in the development of the United States – and so should we be able to positively identify the skeleton, this would be a tremendous achievement.”
Established in 1607, Jamestown’s colonists were suffering from starvation and attacks from Powhatan Indians. By 1609, just 60 people survived and the order was given to abandon the settlement. But Sir George arrived and ordered survivors back to the fort. The settlement lasted for another 90 years.