| Author | Scott Dawson |
|---|---|
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Published | 2020 |
| Publication place | United States |
The Lost Colony and Hatteras Island is a book by Scott Dawson.
The book attempts to dismantle the long-standing mystery of the Roanoke Colony by arguing that the colonists were taken in by the Croatoan people on Hatteras Island and assimilated into their society.
Dawson, a researcher from Hatteras Island, worked with archaeologists, geologists, botanists and other researchers [1] including archaeologist Mark Horton from the University of Bristol to collect evidence for the colony's fate. [2] They established the Croatoan Archaeological Society. [1] They conducted archaeological fieldwork and historical research at sites like Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras. [3] Evidence of English activity on Hatteras like guns, mixed architecture, [4] and large-scale blacksmithing during the 16th-century was presented by them as proof that the colonists had moved there. [5] [6]
The accounts of English explorers like Arthur Barlowe and John Lawson provided a basis for Dawson's hypothesis, [7] including claims that blue-eyed people were found living among the Croatoans years later. [8]
The book's claims were reported by multiple newspapers at the time of its publication, including The Virginian-Pilot [9] and The New York Times . [2] Peter Vankevich of the Ocracoke Observer wrote that "Dawson’s book is a good history/archeology primer. It is well-written and accessible for the lay reader." [10]
However, some scholars rejected its claims due to a lack of solid proof, arguing that English material artifacts could have reached Hatteras Island through trade instead of settlement. [11]