This short film explores the historical, archaeological, and forensic evidence behind the discovery of Captain Gabriel Archer in the chancel of Jamestown's first church. Archer was born in 1575 in Essex and died in late 1609 or early 1610 at the age of 34 during the “starving time”; a six month period when approximately 250 settlers died at Jamestown from disease, starvation, and Indian attacks. He was one of the most active leaders and was involved in much of the in-fighting and factionalism that characterized the colony’s first three years. In particular, he was a vociferous critic and rival of Captain John Smith and was party to Smith’s eventual departure from the colony in disgrace.The team also found a small, well-preserved silver box resting on top of Archer’s coffin. Extensive, high resolution CT scans of the sealed box (which owing to corrosion cannot be opened) revealed that it contained six fragments of bone and two pieces of a small lead vessel known as an ampulla, used to hold holy water, oil, or blood. The silver box’s contents prove conclusively that it was a sacred object known as a reliquary. To learn more please visit https://historicjamestowne.org and https://3D.si.edu to see a digital model of the burial site.
