Jamestown's Dark Winter

A 2015 PBS History, Science Documentary narrated by Jay O. Sanders, as part of PBS Secrets of the Dead series.

A team of archaeologists excavating the site of an early American colony discovers something surprising: the remains of a young woman, dating back to 1609, buried in the trash layer of a cellar.

She was one of the early settlers sent over from England to Jamestown with the intention of establishing a thriving settlement that would enact lucrative trade systems with the local Powhatan tribe. Unfortunately, the alliance was precarious and provisions were in short supply. As winter fell, the colony quickly crumbled.

The Powhatan Indians were unwilling to help the settlers, killing anyone who ventured outside the fort to forage. Trapped behind their wooden palisades, supplies quickly dwindled - leading to tactics that were disgustingly primeval yet necessary for survival. Now, 400 years later, a cellar excavation has uncovered numerous bone fragments - all belonging to this adolescent female.

More surprising than their location are the interesting cut marks on the lower jaw and front of the cranium. With the help of forensic anthropologists, the extraordinary and frightening story of this young woman comes to life.