Croatoan: Guidepost or misdirection?

When John White returned to Roanoke Island in 1590 he found the settlement abandoned and "croatoan" carved on a tree. He thought this meant that the colonists had traveled south to stay with the Croatan Indians, but he was unable to follow up on this clue. Today, archaeologists believe they have located the site of the main village of the Croatan and there is evidence that there was contact with the Roanoke colonists.  But is this where they went? What has been found and what needs to be found to settle the question?

Charles R. Ewen received his PhD at the University of Florida (1987). He joined the faculty at ECU in 1994 and is a full professor in the Department of Anthropology as well as Director of the Phelps Archaeology Laboratory. He has just finished his term as president of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

His research interests focus mostly on historical archaeology (specifically the contact and colonial periods). However, like most archaeologists, circumstances have led him to work on nearly every kind of archaeology site, from prehistoric villages to Civil War fortifications and twentieth-century homesteads. While in NC, Charlie has directed several projects at Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens in New Bern, Ft. Macon State Park, Hope Plantation, Historic Bath and has recently begun a long-term archaeological study of Colonial Brunswick Town.

Besides many articles and book chapters, Charlie is the author or editor of six books, including Searching for the Roanoke Colonies, (with Tom Shields) and X Marks the Spot: The Archaeology of Piracy, and a second volume on piracy, just out, Pieces of Eight: More Archaeology of Piracy. He is currently working on a book with Tom Shields to be entitled Roanoke Reconsidered: What Happened to the Lost Colony.

He lives happily near the university with his wife Gretchen and daughter Madeline. His older daughter, Kate recently graduated from UNC-G and is employed as a graphic designer in Greensboro (woo hoo!).