Fox News posted a story yesterday about some recent clues found to the mystery of Roanoke’s Lost Colony.

The article reports:

The settlers who inhabited the 16th century North Carolina colony of Roanoke mysteriously disappeared centuries ago, leaving behind only two clues: the words “Croatoan” and “Cro” carved into a fort’s gatepost and a nearby tree.

Many conspiracy theories have been concocted as to what happened in 1590, a mere three years after the colonists arrived in North America, but none have proven fruitful. Until now. Technological advances and the discovery of a cover-up on an ancient map have let researchers unearth new clues that may help bring an end to the mystery of America’s lost colony.

It is amazing to me how modern technology can impact archeology. Using ultraviolet light, scientists examined a map painted by explorer John White between 1585-1586.

The article reports their findings:

The map was analyzed by scientists at the British Museum, who discovered a small red-and-blue symbol.

“Our best idea is that parts of [Sir Walter] Raleigh’s exploration in North America were a state secret, and the map ‘cover-up’ was an effort to keep information from the public and from foreign agents,” historian and principal investigator Eric Klingelhofer of Mercer University in Macon, Ga., told National Geographic, which partially funded the effort.

Historians believe that the symbol may have been the location of a fort the settlers fled to, running from violence or disease.

Using magnetometers and ground-penetrating radar (GPR), scientists explored the area under the patch on the map. The discovered a pattern at that location that indicates possible wooden structures about three feet below the surface.

The next step will be an archeological dig. It will be interesting to see what they find.