In a poignant reminder of the climate crisis, the historic site of Jamestown, Virginia, faces an imminent threat from rising sea levels. As archaeologists continue to unearth artifacts that tell the story of America’s beginnings, they simultaneously grapple with the harsh reality that their findings may soon be submerged beneath the very waters that shaped the nation’s history.
Unveiling the Past
Sean Romo, the director of archaeology for Jamestown Rediscovery, pauses his excavation upon spotting a subtle change in the sandy soil—a potential gate, he muses, that could unlock further insights into the early 1600s. “You can’t put a shovel in the ground without finding something,” Romo remarks, highlighting the site’s rich historical significance.
Jamestown, established in 1607, marks the first permanent English settlement in North America. It is not only the birthplace of democracy in the New World, with the first representative assembly convening in 1619, but also the site where Pocahontas wed tobacco planter John Rolfe and where the first enslaved Africans were introduced to American soil, setting the stage for a legacy of systemic slavery that would endure for centuries.
For Romo and his team, every excavation is both an act of discovery and a race against time. “For American history, it’s hard to have more of an impact than Jamestown. It all starts here. Without Jamestown, there is no modern United States,” he states with palpable urgency.
A Historical Treasure Under Threat
Long believed to have been lost to the James River, the original James Fort was rediscovered in 1994, leading to the unearthing of over five million artifacts, including glass bottles, pottery, and human remains. These items have significantly reshaped historians’ understanding of the lives of the English settlers, the Powhatan people, and the first enslaved individuals brought to this land.
However, Jamestown is increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The sea level has surged approximately 1.6 feet over the past century, a trend that is accelerating, with projections indicating a potential rise of three feet or more by 2075. The James River erodes the island’s banks, while expanding wetlands encroach on the remaining land. Consequently, excavation sites are frequently inundated after heavy rains or high tides.
“We always have to be meticulous,” Romo notes. “But we do need to pick the pace up because we are under severe threat from climate change. The real big one for us is flooding.”
Navigating the Future of Coastal Heritage
Utilising ground-penetrating radar, researchers can ascertain what lies beneath the surface before commencing excavation, enabling them to prioritise areas at greatest risk. This new technique has turned each dig into a strategic exercise in preservation, with decisions made on which historical elements to salvage before they are lost to water.
Jamestown serves as a dramatic illustration of a larger issue affecting the United States’ coastlines. The combustion of fossil fuels continues to warm the planet, leading to the melting of ice sheets and the thermal expansion of seawater, both of which contribute to rising sea levels. According to Climate Central, by 2050, approximately 2.5 million Americans—and numerous cherished historical sites—could face severe flooding.
The Changing Landscape
“The map is changing,” asserts Rob Young, a coastal geologist at Western Carolina University. He is part of a team assessing climate risks across all 107 coastal units of the national park system. Young explains that climate change accelerates the alterations to these maps at an unprecedented rate. Historic sites increasingly face flooding, restricting visitor access and threatening their very existence.
In North Carolina’s Outer Banks, homes continue to fall into the Atlantic as the shoreline retreats. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was moved nearly a quarter mile inland in 1999 to safeguard it from encroaching waters. Yet, not every landmark can be relocated. “We’re not gonna move Fort Sumter,” Young points out, emphasising the need for society to engage in a critical conversation about which sites can be defended and which may ultimately need to be relinquished.
The sea wall at Jamestown, built in 1902, has recently been reinforced with massive boulders in a bid to stave off erosion. While this may provide temporary relief, Romo acknowledges that it is not a long-term solution. “If we do nothing, we’re gonna go from Jamestown Island to Jamestown Islands in the next 50 years,” he warns. “The time to act is now to protect this space and ensure future generations can still learn about and experience the place where American history was made.”
Why it Matters
The plight of Jamestown is a microcosm of a broader existential crisis facing historical and cultural sites around the globe. As climate change continues to reshape coastal landscapes, the urgency to protect these irreplaceable legacies has never been greater. The decisions made today regarding preservation efforts will determine whether future generations can connect with the foundational narratives of their history. As rising waters threaten to erase these stories, society must galvanise to safeguard its heritage for posterity.