Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland

Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland. By Sally M. Walker. Caroirhoda Books, 2009. 144 pages. $22.95

Summary: Writer Sally M. Walker joins Dr. Douglas Owsley, a scientist at the Smithsonian Institute, on an archaeological dig in the Chesapeake Bay area. Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland is the story of this dig and the lives and deaths of the people discovered, as well as their places in history. Walker provides detailed coverage of the unearthing of the remains of a teenage boy, an indentured servant, a colonial official and his wife and children, a ship’s captain and African slave girl. Details of the archaeological work are presented alongside background information about each grave’s inhabitant. Gamma x-rays, air pressure diagnostic tools and ground-penetrating radar machinery are just a few of the high tech items that the archaeological team uses to excavate and analyze the gravesites. Historical information about Jamestown and other colonial settlements in the 17^th and 18^th centuries is brought to bear upon the archeological discoveries to provide a fascinating picture of the this time in American history.

Standard(s): California History/Social Science 5.4.1: understand the influence of location and physical setting on the founding of the original 13 colonies, and identify on a map the locations of the colonies; 5.4.3: describe the religious aspects of the earliest colonies (e.g., Puritanism in Massachusetts, Anglicanism in Virginia, Catholicism in Maryland, Quakerism in Pennsylvania); and 5.4.6: describe the introduction of slavery into America.

Suggested age range: 10-14 years

Subjects/themes: Forensic anthropology, human remains, Jamestown, Chesapeake Bay Region, bones, customs, traditions

Awards:

=Junior Library Guild Selection

=YALSA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction, Finalist

=Benjamin Franklin Award, 2010

=ALA Notable Children’s Book, 2010

=Orbus Pictus Recommended Book, 2010

Reviews:

=Booklist (February 1, 2009)

=School Library Journal (February 1, 2009)

=Voice of Youth Advocates (April 1, 2009)

High interest annotation: Follow author Sally M. Walker as she joins renowned scientist, Dr. Douglas Owsley, on a fascinating archaeological expedition at the location of the Jamestown settlement. Learn how early colonists lived by using forensic anthropology to analyze their remains. Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland offers a fascinating look at history through archaeology for readers ages 10-14 years.