Ancient tombstone in Virginia traced to Belgium

A recent study has revealed intriguing insights about the oldest known tombstone in the United States, which dates back to 1627 and belonged to an English knight.

The oldest known tombstone in the United States, belonging to an English knight, is believed to have originated from Belgium, according to a recent study that illuminates trade routes linked to colonial America, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Archaeologists established that the tombstone was erected in 1627 in Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement, but its precise European origin remained uncertain.   The new research, published in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology, analyzed the carvings and inlays of the black limestone slab to determine its origins.

Scientists discovered a carved recess that likely held brass inlays depicting a shield, an unfurled scroll, and an armored figure.   Historical documents indicate that two knights passed away in Jamestown during the 17th century: Sir Thomas West in 1618 and Sir George Yeardley.

Notably, Sir Yeardley's step-grandson commissioned a tombstone for himself in the 1680s featuring the same inscription as the black limestone slab, prompting researchers to suspect that the 1627 tombstone belonged to Sir George Yeardley. Sir George Yeardley was born in Southwark, England, in 1588 and arrived in Jamestown in 1610 after surviving a shipwreck near Bermuda. He was knighted by King James I when he returned to England in 1617, later returning to Jamestown in 1621, where he died in 1627.   Researchers examined fragments of the tombstone and discovered tiny fossilized microbes, many of which are not found in North America.

These microbes were found in regions now known as Belgium and Ireland. The analysis further pinpointed the tombstone’s origin to Belgium, recognized at the time as the primary source of this type of limestone.   As the scientists stated, “Therefore, the knight’s tombstone had to be imported from Europe.

Historical evidence suggests Belgium, from where it was transshipped in London and on to Jamestown.” They hypothesized that the stone was quarried and shaped in Belgium, transported via the Meuse River, across the English Channel to London for carving and installation of brass inlays, and then sent on to Jamestown.

By Naila Huseynova