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DNA is appearing more and more frequently in our public and private lives. Researchers are using DNA to advance medical treatments. Ancient DNA (aDNA) studies are tracking human migrations and interactions in the distant past. Families are using direct-to-consumer genetic testing to trace DNA origins and find biological relatives, while law enforcement is using DNA to solve cases. Only recently, however, has aDNA played a role in investigating our recent past.

New research on human remains discovered at the early colonial site of Jamestown, Virginia, uses ancient DNA as an identification tool in a multifaceted study that combines genetics with archaeological and osteological evidence, as well as a 400-year-old probate court case. As complex as any modern forensic case, the study establishes the identity and relationship of two men buried in unmarked graves belonging to the colony’s church dating from 1608 to 1616. The location of the two graves, with matching coffin styles, indicates cultural and social significance within the community. Bone chemistry shows that both were raised in England and had elevated levels of lead in their bones – a sign of high status – due to the use of pewter and lead-glazed tableware that contaminated their food and drink. Age and status records match two men who died in Jamestown within weeks of each other – Sir Ferdinando Wenman (1576-1610 AD) and Captain William West (ca. 1586-1610 AD). Both were considered members of a prominent English family with close ties to the colonial settlement. They came to Jamestown with a family member and the colony’s first governor, Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, but died within a year of their arrival. However, written records lack the exact nature of Captain West’s kinship, which may explain why he came to the colony.

Despite poor preservation, DNA analysis linked the two men on their maternal side. While Wenman’s lineage was documented, Captain West had no record of his ancestry, despite his surname West. This surprising find prompted extensive archival research, which led to the discovery of a court case contesting ownership of Captain West’s property. His aunt Mary, the beneficiary of his will, sued to obtain jewels given to William by Elizabeth West, her unmarried sister. Mary had raised William after her sister’s death and now claimed the jewels for herself after her nephew’s death. William was born out of wedlock, explaining his absence from the Wests’ official genealogical records. It also provided a probable reason for his arrival in Jamestown—his illegitimate birth. Captain West used his kinship network in search of better opportunities in a new land—a true immigration story.

The names, places and dates in school textbooks – which many saw as a link to history’s diverse human stories – are being augmented by new methods of researching historical events and people, adding variety to the stories told and uncovered. The multi-layered approach involving DNA allows the remains themselves to speak, and their stories are not unlike our own.

Reference: Owsley DW, Bruwelheide KS, Harney É, et al. Historical and archaeogenomic identification of high-ranking Englishmen at Jamestown, Virginia. Antiquity. 2024:1-15. 10.15184/aqy.2024.75

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