Jamestown Colonists Strangely Picked up Donkeys En Route to the New World, and Likely Ate Them

When the Jamestown settlers first arrived in Virginia, they brought with them supplies and tools they thought they would need to start a new colony. While historical records indicate that these supplies included horses, new archaeological evidence reveals that another livestock staple was also present in the colony.

Thanks to a new zooarchaeological analysis published in Scientific advances, the research team found that the settlers likely brought donkeys with them, as well as horses. However, historical records do not mention donkeys on the manifest and DNA analysis reveals that these donkeys are not native to England.

By digging deeper into the colony’s past, the research team discovered the likely origin of the donkeys and what happened to them during that tragic first winter.

Learn more: Before horses, hybrid donkeys were once used for combat

Donkeys in Jamestown but not on the manifesto

At the historic Jamestown Colony site, first occupied by European settlers in the early 1600s, archaeologists have discovered a plethora of bones and artifacts, including those of horses and donkeys.

What is curious is that the ship’s original manifest does not indicate that donkeys were on board when they arrived in Jamestown, suggesting that they might have come from elsewhere. After closely examining the bones of the donkeys, the team also noted that there were signs of wear and tear, particularly related to restraining, suggesting that settlers used these animals for work.

“There is no written record of the presence of donkeys on ship manifests and reports, but evidence suggests that they were considered reliable working animals,” John Krigbaum, professor and chair of anthropology at the University of Florida, said in a press release.

What happened to the donkeys in Jamestown?

For this study, the research team analyzed bones, including teeth, from specimens identified as horses or donkeys from the site.

Using radiocarbon dating, the research team examined five teeth from the site and accurately dated the specimen as having been born before the founding of the colony in 1607 and likely died during the winter of 1609-1610, known as the “famine period.”

“They show that adult horses were eaten, slaughtered, and cooked or boiled, with most items cut open to extract even the tiniest nutritional resources, including dental pulp,” the team wrote in their study.

Although there are records of settlers consuming horses and other animals in the colony at this time, this new evidence can confirm that donkeys were also most likely eaten during the “famine period.”

Revealing the origins of the donkey

Although radiocarbon dating of the teeth can pinpoint the exact time these donkeys were in Jamestown, these donkey teeth may also answer another pressing question: Where did they come from if not England?

Using bone chemistry and ancient DNA analysis, the research team discovered that some of the donkeys likely originated in Africa as well as the Caribbean islands.

“The ancient DNA points to Iberia or West Africa, which is consistent with its isotopic signature, but the isotopic evidence is also consistent with Trinidad and Tobago, which is not far from the route taken,” Krigbaum said in a press release.

The results of this study provide insight into how equines such as horses and donkeys were first transported to the Americas. The team hopes to use these methods in the future on other early European settlements in North America.

Learn more: Donkey skin could be a secret weapon in the fight against ticks and Lyme disease

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