Researchers believe they're one step closer to knowing what happened to the so-called “Lost Colony,” one of the great mysteries of American history.
The Roanoke Colony consisted of English settlers who landed on Roanoke Island in the late 1500s. Today, the island is part of Dare County.
After only a few short years, the Roanoke settlers disappeared, with almost no clues as to what actually happened to them.
But after years of archaeological digs, British professor Mark Horton and local historian Scott Dawson believe the settlers fled to Hatteras Island.
According to The Virginian-Pilot, the digs have unearthed thousands of artifacts. Most of them are Native American, but there are enough Elizabethan English relics mixed with Croatoan fare that Horton and Dawson believe the settlers integrated with the tribe.
The researchers say the English men and women, including the first English child born in North America, Virginia Dare, likely fled Roanoke Island. They believe they were threatened by the native Secotan Tribe, but friendlier with the Croatoans on Hatteras.