The winter of 1609 to 1610 is referred to as the “Starving Time” in Jamestown, Virginia - England’s first permanent settlement in the Americas. A perfect storm of events - poor harvest, disease, violent relations with indigenous neighbors, an influx of new settlers without any new provisions, and an actual hurricane led to the starvation and death of around 80% of Jamestown settlers that winter. Survivors resorted to eating unconventional meals in order to survive - horses, dogs, cats, rats, and even the bodies of the dead. Various first hand accounts written by settlers reported survival cannibalism during the starving time, with no evidence to back it up. But, did you know, in 2012, archaeologists working at Jamestown finally uncovered solid forensic evidence to confirm those claims? Let’s fix that. 

Sources:

• Jamestown Rediscovery website
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History "Discovering Jane"

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