In 1587, more than one hundred English settlers established a colony on Roanoke Island, off the coast of present day North Carolina. Their governor, John White, sailed back to England for supplies. When he finally returned three years later, the settlement had been dismantled and every colonist was gone. ([National Park Service][1])

This episode investigates the clues White actually found, especially the word Croatoan, and separates the historical record from centuries of legend. Modern archaeology has uncovered evidence suggesting that at least some colonists may have relocated and lived among Indigenous communities or established settlements farther inland. ([National Park Service][2])

The colony may not have vanished at all. The real mystery is where its people went, and what became of them afterward.