Ghost of a flea: The right to buried arms

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January 14, 2006

The right to buried arms

400-years after it had been lost, archaeologist David Phelps uncovered the first evidence at Hatteras Island, the ancient kingdom of Croatoan, supporting a link to Sir Walter Raleigh's "Lost Colony" on Roanoke Island some fifty miles away. The evidence; a gold signet ring depicting "a lion, a symbol of English authority that would typically be worn by a nobleman."

"This doesn't necessarily mean the Lost Colony was here - but this begins to authenticate that." Sir Walter Raleigh's settlement on Roanoke Island - 112 men, women and children - disappeared without a trace after 1587. Historians and scholars have long debated what happened, but many believe at least some colonists moved about 50 miles south to the Native American capital on Hatteras Island, as the message "CROATOAN" on a fence post hinted. Croatoan was the name of the village.

Later investigation revealed the arms of the walking lion belonged to the Kendall family and presumably to "Master" Kendall, a colonist known to have been at Roanoke Island in 1585 to 1585. The trouble is David Phelps, now retired, took the ring to Florida and despite repeated pledges has yet to bring it back. But who could blame him? After what he has seen, with everything he now knows, I too would scramble after any touchstone as even now the stars wheel into alignment over Croatoan.

February 3 Update: The return of the ring.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at January 14, 2006 10:33 AM

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