Tombstone discovery highlights US role in transatlantic trade

In a remarkable discovery that sheds light on early American history, researchers have traced the origins of the oldest known surviving tombstone in the United States, believed to belong to Sir George Yeardley, a prominent colonial governor of Jamestown, Virginia.

The oldest known surviving tombstone in the United States is an impressive symbol of wealth—a meticulously carved slab of black limestone that was originally placed in the floor of the second church of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent British settlement in North America. Often called the "Knight’s Tombstone" due to the knight and shield carvings on its surface, this enigmatic marker dates back to 1627, though its origins remained largely a mystery for many years. Recent research has uncovered new insights into the gravestone’s background, shedding light on the prominent individual to whom it likely belonged, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

By examining microfossils—tiny fossils about the size of a thumbnail—within the limestone, researchers discovered that the ancient organisms preserved in the stone were from Europe, as detailed in a study published on September 4 in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology. Historical evidence led the authors to a Belgian tombstone export business that was flourishing at the time, suggesting this is where the tombstone began its journey.

“These stones are quite heavy, and the most expensive part of the stone is not the stone itself, but the transportation costs. … To me, that was surprising, that there was somebody that was affluent enough to want to exhibit their wealth and memorialize themselves with such an expensive proposition,” said lead study author Marcus Key, a geoscientist and the Joseph Priestley Professor of Natural Philosophy at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

According to Key, the heavy stone traveled from Belgium to London for carving before making the yearlong journey across the Atlantic Ocean to its final resting place in Jamestown. 

The tombstone is believed to belong to Sir George Yeardley, a colonial governor of the first English settlement and one of America’s earliest slaveholders, who was knighted in 1618. The death of this early leader would likely have necessitated an elaborate burial and tombstone, which has remarkably survived for nearly four centuries.

“This guy was the governor of the colony, so he was a pretty big wig himself. He had the family resources to do that,” Key added.

“A lot of people there were probably dying with just wooden tombstones that were carved there on site, and those obviously don’t survive for 400 years. … This is more of the history of our nation’s past and our colonial relationship with mother England.” The newly uncovered origin story of the grave marker emphasizes Jamestown’s role in global transatlantic trade and provides insight into the burial practices of early colonists, experts noted.

A 2021 study, also led by Key, confirmed the grave marker as the oldest known surviving tombstone in the United States. His latest research aimed to trace the tombstone's origins. 

By Naila Huseynova