Donald E. Hurlbert / Smithsonian Institution
A well-preserved silver box believed to be a Catholic reliquary resting on top of Capt. Gabriel Archer’s coffin was an unexpected find at the site of the 1608 Anglican church, suggesting that at least one of the colonists retained his Catholic faith, perhaps in secret. In July 2015, a team of scientists from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and Jamestown Rediscovery announced the identities of Rev. Robert Hunt, Capt. Gabriel Archer, Sir Ferdinando Wainman and Capt. William West, high-status leaders who helped shape the future of America during the initial phase of the Jamestown colony. (Photo by Donald E. Hurlbert / Smithsonian Institution)
