Not far from the fort is a modern log structure used as a temporary
museum. Besides housing such objects of historical interest as documents
relating to Raleigh's family, pieces of armor, and the rare facsimile
reproductions in color of the remarkable water-color drawings made in
America by John White during 1585-86, the museum contains objects which
were recovered at the fort site and elsewhere on the grounds of the
national historic site during the archeological excavations of 1947,
1948, and 1950.
[Illustration: _Drawings of one of the Hans Schultes counters, or
jettons, found at the fort. The obverse side reads "Glick Kumt Von
Got Ist War" (True good fortune comes from God)._]
[Illustration: _On the reverse side is "Hans Schultez Zu
Nurenberg."_]
Among the many objects brought to light is a wrought-iron sickle found
in the very bottom of the fort ditch. Undoubtedly, it was one of the
tools used at the time of the building of the fort, because
archeological evidence shows that the loose dirt of the parapet of the
fort began to wash back into the ditch almost as soon as the fort was
completed. Even more interesting, perhaps, are three copper, or brass,
counters, popular in Europe for keeping arithmetical accounts during the
sixteenth century, which were found inside the fort. They carry the
symbols of Tudor England and on one the name _Hans Schultes Zu
Nuremberg_ is readable. Schultes is known to have manufactured such
counters in Nuremberg between 1550 and 1574, at which time Nuremberg was
a center for the making of counters. He undoubtedly made this one for
the English trade, as the Tudor symbols indicate. Likewise, of great
interest are the fragments of large Spanish olive jars found in the
excavations. As the colonists of 1585-86 traded in Puerto Rico and
Haiti, in the Spanish West Indies, for goods and supplies on their way
to Roanoke Island, it was to be expected that objects of this type would
be found.
[Illustration: _Iron sickle found during the excavations._]
[Illustration: _Indian pipe of red clay found at the bottom of the
fort ditch._]
Fragments of _maiolica_ were also found, which appear to be either
Spanish or Hispano-American. In addition, large iron spikes, buckles, a
casement bar and other materials of interest came to light. Indian
pottery and traces of Indian campfires found at various soil levels show
that the Indians returned to Roanoke Island and inhabited the fort area
after the last colonists had left.
[Illustration: _Top of a Spanish olive jar found at the bottom of
the fort ditch._]