Jamestown, and Back to Richmond

Back on the remarkable Colonial Parkway for a second time from Yorktown, drove to nearby Jamestown. This was the site of the first English settlement in the New World. Think its kind of wild that it is so close to the battlefield that largely ended the British rule in nearby Yorktown, Va, but that would be a long time later. This monument was put up many years ago at the 300th anniversary of their landing at Jamestown under the leadership of John Smith. Jamestown was at a beautiful place, on the shore of the mighty York River, and on an island. The built a fort there, housing, government buildings, later a tavern (to me...a mark of civilization), and it eventually turned into a thriving community at least for a time. Certainly they had many difficult days. In a museum on the grounds are the remains of one colonist who was killed by a bullet to his leg (and the bullet is still lodged in his bone!). James town is interesting both for the recreations there, and the actual things that can be seen from the colony. It is both a historical site and a research facility used to study the past.
The church here is the fourth or fifth built here, and has some of the oldest remains building wise in Jamestown. There are a lot of above ground recreations of what has been found under the ground. I read that those were reburied after being dug up to preserve them; exposure to air would soon decompose the materials used back in the colony. In addition to those recreations, and the old buildings, a museum on the site shows many of the relics that have been found to date on the site. They have ranged from bodies, to weapon parts (metal as the wood of guns for instance is long gone), and many day to day items that have been found.
This is a photo of the recreated fort on the grounds of the original fort and an on-going excavation which has been underway. Jamestown still probably holds a lot of discoveries and that makes it all the more exciting. I really enjoyed the visit to Jamestown.
However, it was a very remarkable day with a visit though short to three fine places: Jamestown, Yorktown, and Colonial Williamsburg. I will certainly be returning to that area and ranging beyond, in addition to more exploring in the Richmond area. This region certainly has a great deal to offer!