William Kelso and the Jamestown Rediscovery Project uncover the long-lost location of James Fort.

Archaeologists discover more than 30 graves within James Fort's walls, revealing a high colonial mortality rate.

Scientists uncover the skeleton of a teenage boy, labeled JR1225B, at Jamestown.

A Powhatan arrowhead is found near JR1225B's femur during the grave excavation.

JR1225B's bones are transported to the Smithsonian Institution for detailed forensic analysis.

Stable isotope analysis reveals JR1225B consumed a European diet, suggesting a very recent arrival in Virginia.

A grave shaft is discovered in a trash pit near James Fort's western wall.

An iron captain's leading staff found in the grave indicates the deceased held high military rank.

Researchers identify the Captain as Bartholomew Gosnold by combining historical documents with forensic evidence.

Archaeologist Al Luckenbach excavates Leavy Neck plantation and discovers a body buried in a trash-filled cellar.

Owsley determines the Leavy Neck remains belong to a 15- or 16-year-old indentured servant.

Owsley concludes the Leavy Neck servant likely died under suspicious circumstances from possible mistreatment.

Two archaeologists discover a lead coffin beneath the foundation of a Catholic chapel in St. Mary's City.

Forensic analysis and historical research identify the man in the largest lead coffin as Philip Calvert.

Forensic artist Joana Hughes reconstructs the face of HK7, the first such reconstruction of an African-descended American colonist.

Pool 1 follows the headline events of the book's investigations across colonial Virginia and Maryland. It begins with the rediscovery of James Fort and the excavation of JR1225B, a teenage boy whose bones reveal a life of injury and illness. Next, forensic scientists uncover the grave of a high-ranking colonial figure later identified as Bartholomew Gosnold. The narrative moves to Maryland, where an indentured servant at Leavy Neck shows signs of brutal labor and possible abuse. The discovery of lead coffins in St. Mary's City leads to the identification of Philip Calvert, a prominent colonial leader. The pool concludes with the groundbreaking facial reconstruction of HK7, an African-descended young woman whose story gives a human face to the many unnamed colonists history has forgotten.

The major milestones from Jamestown's rediscovery to HK7's facial reconstruction.

Walker explains her decision to exclude Indigenous burial sites out of respect for their cultural beliefs.

The long-held belief that the James River eroded all of James Fort is overturned by new archaeological evidence.

Hudgins and Schmidt use wooden and plastic tools to excavate JR1225B's grave without damaging the bones.

The straight alignment of JR1225B's legs and feet indicates the boy was wrapped in a burial shroud.

JR1225B's fragile bones are removed from the grave with their surrounding soil to prevent crumbling.

Owsley and Bruwelheide determine that JR1225B stood approximately five feet eight inches tall.

A severe jaw infection stemming from a broken incisor is identified as a likely contributor to JR1225B's death.

The Captain's grave is found to be exceptionally well-preserved due to the sandy soil's superior drainage.

Forensic analysis reveals the Captain was a slender man aged 33 to 39 with slight arthritis.

The Leavy Neck servant's vertebrae show Schmorl's depressions, indicating a life of constant heavy lifting.

Two additional lead coffins are discovered alongside the first beneath the chapel foundation in St. Mary's City.

Ground-penetrating radar and gamma rays are used to examine the lead coffins' interiors without opening them.

Silk ribbons and rosemary sprigs found in the second lead coffin indicate a careful and respectful burial.

Bones in the largest lead coffin are transformed into brushite crystals, revealing that the body was embalmed.

Scientists find no skeletal evidence to determine whether the Harleigh Knoll colonists were enslaved, servants, or free.

Pool 2 captures the significant supporting events and scientific findings that enrich each excavation. It opens with Walker's ethical framing—her decision to exclude Indigenous burial sites—and continues through the careful excavation of JR1225B, uncovering specific health details like his jaw infection and unusual height for the era. The pool traces the discovery and analysis of the Captain's exceptionally well-preserved grave, then moves to the Leavy Neck servant, whose vertebrae bear the unmistakable marks of brutal physical labor. In Maryland, multiple lead coffins are uncovered and studied using non-invasive technologies, with details like silken shrouds and embalmed remains revealing the wealth of the Calvert family. The pool closes with the sobering finding that archaeologists cannot determine from bone alone whether the people buried at Harleigh Knoll were enslaved, servants, or free.

The scientific details and supporting discoveries behind each major investigation.

Walker shares her personal fascination with how bones tell human stories as her inspiration for the book.

Soil stains of a distinctive color in the ground at Jamestown allow archaeologists to identify buried grave shafts.

JR1225B's skull is uncovered first during excavation, consistent with typical patterns of decomposition and bone settling.

A fractured clavicle is found on JR1225B, indicating a significant injury sustained shortly before death.

Signs of iron deficiency and arrested growth disruptions are identified in JR1225B's bones, pointing to poor nutrition.

Historians suggest JR1225B could be a colonist named Richard Mutton but cannot make a positive identification.

The Captain's stable isotope analysis shows his diet still reflected English origins, consistent with Gosnold's brief time in Virginia.

A broken ceramic milk pan used as a digging tool reveals that the Leavy Neck servant's burial was hurried and secretive.

Fractures in the Leavy Neck servant's right arm are identified as consistent with a blow from a blunt object.

The team replaces the oxygen inside the largest lead coffin with argon gas to protect the remains inside.

Hair analysis of the woman in the second lead coffin reveals dangerously high levels of arsenic from medicinal use.

Stratigraphy reveals that two of the lead coffins were buried simultaneously, raising questions that remain unresolved.

Archaeologist Darrin Lowery discovers cobblestones on a knoll at Harleigh, suggesting the presence of a buried cemetery.

HK7's skull is examined and found to indicate African ancestry, a pivotal discovery about her identity.

StudioEIS sculptors create a lasting plaster model of HK7, completing the facial reconstruction project.

Pool 3 highlights the pivotal moments of discovery and uncertainty that shape the book's investigative arc. It begins with Walker's personal motivation for writing the book and the early technique of reading soil stains to locate graves, before turning to the specific revelations in JR1225B's bones—a fractured clavicle, nutritional deficiencies, and an identity that ultimately cannot be confirmed. The Captain's isotope evidence becomes a critical link to the historical record, while the Leavy Neck case pivots on a broken milk pan and arm fractures that suggest deliberate violence. In St. Mary's City, the careful use of argon gas, the shocking discovery of arsenic in a woman's hair, and the puzzling stratigraphic evidence raise questions that remain unanswered. The pool closes at Harleigh Knoll, where the identification of HK7's African ancestry and the completion of her facial reconstruction mark the book's most powerful humanizing moment.

The key discoveries, reversals, and emotional turning points across every investigation.