Jane: Starvation, Cannibalism, and Endurance at Jamestown

by James Horn, Douglas Owsley, Beverly Straube

Genres: History, Nonfiction

43 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Colonial Williamsburg Vice President

Reviews

[Arlene Hayman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book depicts historical evidence acquired from archaeological excavations recently conducted at Jamestown. These new excavations were found in the grounds, which were once the cellar of James Fort where the first permanent English colony was established. Together with bits of everyday artifacts were found cranial bone fragments, as well as a leg bone, of a 14-year old English girl who came to Jamestown in June of 1609. The authors decided to call her Jane because women in those times were not well documented, unlike the men, and her real name will forever remain a mystery. What is so interesting about this book is that through careful observations of bone fragments and isotopic testing, the archaeologists were able to determine that Jane was of middle to upper class standing, and that her bones showed evidence of having been cannibalized. After Jane arrived at Jamestown in June of 1609, Captain John Smith, the authoritative leader of Jamestown was mysteriously injured in a gunpowder explosion, and he returned back to England in October of that year. Relationships with the Powhatan Native Americans were becoming increasingly worse, and without the strong leadership of Captain James Smith, fighting broke out between the two groups. In the harsh winter of 1609, the 300 or so colonists were unable to venture out of their Jamestown fort for fear of being attacked. Food became scare, and archaeological excavations show much evidence of the colonists eating snakes, dogs, cats, horses, rats, and whatever became available in order to survive. Careful examination of Jane’s bones showed evidence that her cranium had been broken in half, and bones in her facial and neck areas had substantial cuts, as one might make with a knife to remove the flesh. This archaeological excavation further depicts just how harsh the conditions were for those early colonists, and the hardships they endured to survive. After the winter of 1609, only 60 of the original 300 colonists remained alive. This was a fascinating book that honored a previously nameless face of the historic Jamestown experience.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I are exploring what's around our new home in Williamsburg. Actually, we are closer to Jamestown - just a short bike ride away - than we are to Williamsburg, and we have been there a few times. It's amazing that they are still making discoveries on how people lived here over 400 years ago. On the archaeological tour we had a terrific guide who told us of a recent discovery that the starving settlers were forced to practice cannibalism. Among the crockery sherds and animal bones were a human skull and leg bone. Further research indicated that these bones belonged to a young woman. It hasn't been determined how she died, but they did determine that her body provided nourishment for the desperate settlers. The small book, loaded with color photographs, shows where the bones were found and how they were tested to find out so much about this young woman they named Jane. They could tell her age, her sex, and what part of the world she came from. I thought it was interesting that they said the bones were found by "an intern." Does this intern have a name? I think it's sad that he or she doesn't get the credit that is due for this amazing discovery. Further research enabled medical modeling experts to come up with a 3-D model of Jane's face and head. It's a good companion book to the Jamestown archaeological site and museum.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for Ed Shed research— tells the story of Jane, the cannibalized girl found at Jamestown. The books does a great job in depicting in the evidence regarding her cannibalization and had greats pictures and other materials.

[Cami Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short but provides an excellent overview on Jane, the fourteen girl whose remains were discovered at Jamestown in 2012.

Jane was a victim of the starving time and after archaeologists discovered her skull and tibia in the cellar at James Fort—not interred in a grave—it quickly became apparent that Jane’s death was not what it seemed. She had been cannibalized during the Starving Times.

This book was the first to be published on Jane and has excellent color photographs of her remains, facial reconstruction, and other artifacts found at Jamestown. The information in it is rather brief, since this is such a small book, but it gives an overview on the discovery, the few facts researchers could tell about Jane from her remains, and a very brief history of the settlement. The information is all provided in a very respectful way, especially in regards to Jane.

[Jane Karena · Rating 5 out of 5]

havent finished

[Amy H. Sturgis · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2012, an excavation project at the Historic Jamestowne archaeological site conducted in a 1608 James Fort cellar yielded a remarkable and disturbing find from the settlement's Starving Time of 1609-1610: the first scientifically-proven example of survival cannibalism in Colonial America. This excellent little book follows step by step the procedures by which archaeologists and forensic anthropologists, after months of delicate work, uncovered and decoded the clues in the (teenage female) human remains. It ends with the story of how science and artistry both have been used to bring the story -- and the face -- of the approximately 14-year-old young woman (dubbed "Jane") to modern attention.

This book is an able distillation of the Jane: Starvation, Cannibalism, and Endurance at Jamestown documentary film and the "Jane’s Story" exhibit at the Nathalie P. and Alan M. Voorhees Archaearium at the Historic Jamestowne site.