The site of Jamestown, first permanent English settlement in North
America, has been excavated at intervals by the National Park Service. The
early excavations were under the supervision of several archeological
technicians directing Civilian Conservation Corps crews. In September
1936, J. C. Harrington became supervising archeologist of the project, and
until World War II he continued the work as funds permitted. Except for
the privately sponsored excavation of the Jamestown glasshouse site by
Harrington in 1947, no extensive archeological work was thereafter
undertaken until 1954, when John L. Cotter was appointed chief
archeologist. Thorough exploration of Jamestown was his responsibility
until 1956.[57]
One of the most interesting subsites in the Jamestown complex was the two
and one-half acres of lots which belonged successively to William May,
Nicholas Merriweather, William White, and Henry Hartwell. The site was
first explored in 1935. On this occasion there was disclosed a meandering
brick drain that had been built on top of a fill of artifactual refuse,
mostly pottery sherds. The richness of this yield was unparalleled
elsewhere at Jamestown; from it comes our principal evidence about the
North Devon types sent to America.
[Illustration: FIGURE 12.--Sgraffito-ware cup and plate from Jamestown.
The cup is 4 inches high; the plate is 7 inches in diameter. Colonial
National Historical Park.]
The May-Hartwell site was explored further and in far greater detail in
1938 and 1939 by Harrington, whose unpublished typescript report is on
file with the National Park Service.[58] Harrington's excavation, in the
light of historical documentation, led to the conclusion that the brick
drain had been laid during Henry Hartwell's occupancy of the site between
1689 and 1695. This was supported by the inclusion in the fill of many
bottle seals bearing Hartwell's initials, "H. H." Hartwell married the
widow of William White, who had purchased the property from Nicholas
Merriweather in 1677. That was the year following Bacon's Rebellion, when
Merriweather's house presumably was destroyed.
[Illustration: FIGURE 13.--Sgraffito-ware jugs, about 8 inches high, from
Jamestown. Colonial National Historical Park.]
There were many hundreds of sherds in the fill under and around the brick
drain, as well as in other ditches in the site. The North Devon types were
found here in association with numerous classes of pottery. The most
readily identifiable were sherds of English delftware of many forms and
styles of decoration related to the second half of the 17th century. There
were occasional earlier 17th-century examples, also, as might be expected.
No 18th-century intrusions were noted in the brick drain area, and only a
scattering in other portions; none was found in association with the North
Devon sherds.