This article is part of our Pets special section on scientists’ growing interest in our animal companions.
For 30 years, archaeologists have been digging at Jamestown, the first permanent British settlement in America.
Now, some of the most intriguing clues are coming from bones — not of the people who lived in Jamestown, but of the dogs.
The earliest written records of European colonists make only fleeting references to dogs.
Some European dogs helped hunt down deer and birds, while others were sent into battle: When Powhatan forces attacked Jamestown, English soldiers retaliated by setting dogs loose on Powhatan villages.
Persons:
James, Powhatan
Locations:
Jamestown, America, Virginia, British