Jamestown

I wouldn't expect to see much of something that is 400 years old. Ditches used to drain swamp water and hold trash. Lots of artifacts are on display. A 1685 church tower is really the only preserved structure from the 1600's. Jamestown has lots of historical events and stories to be told. The ranger guided tour was the best we have had.
My history prior to this trip of Jamestown was that it was the first English settlement in the new world and was plagued with sickness and Indian conflicts.
The facts I slept through in school are as follows: Jamestown was picked because shores were deep enough for ships to be tied to the trees on shore and it would be easy to defend against ship attacks. Unfortunately, it was a swamp. It had a poor fresh water supply. The fact that the Indians didn't live on the island should have been a clue to them that they they might not want to live there either. From 1609 to 1610 the settlement went from 500 settlers to 60.
They moved the Capital to Williamsburg in 1699 and I don't know how they lasted that long. They came for gold etc but growing tobacco was how the economy managed to survive. Enough history.