Early transatlantic movement of horses and donkeys at Jamestown

William Timothy Treal Taylor; Nicolas Delsol; Vicky M Oelze; Peter Mitchell; Leah Stricker; Michael Lavin; Akin Ogundiran; Lauren Hosek; Christina Isabelle Barrón-Ortiz; Olumide Ojediran; Diana Quintero-Bisono; Lucy Keith-Diagne; Dane Magoon; Matthew E Hill Jr; Ariane E Thomas; Anna Waterman; David W Peate; Lorelei Chauvey; Stéphanie Schiavinato; Laure Calvière-Tonasso; Luís Borges; Aitor Brito-Mayor; Jonathan Santana; George Kamenov; Ludovic Orlando; John Krigbaum

doi:10.1126/sciadv.adw2595

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Early transatlantic movement of horses and donkeys at Jamestown

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Early transatlantic movement of horses and donkeys at Jamestown

William Timothy Treal Taylor, Nicolas Delsol, Vicky M Oelze, Peter Mitchell, Leah Stricker, Michael Lavin, Akin Ogundiran, Lauren Hosek, Christina Isabelle Barrón-Ortiz, Olumide Ojediran, …

Science advances, Vol.11(36), p.eadw2595

09/05/2025

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adw2595

PMCID: PMC12407088

PMID: 40901968

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Abstract

Domestic equids were central to the initial colonization of the Atlantic coast of the Americas, a process partially chronicled by historical records. While Spanish colonists brought horses to the Caribbean decades earlier, settlement of the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, was among the first dispersals of horses to the eastern seaboard. Archaeozoological analysis of identifiable domestic equid remains from two contexts associated with the initial occupation of Jamestown demonstrates intense processing and consumption of the first Jamestown horses during the "Starving Time" winter of 1609. Osteological and biomolecular study of these equid remains demonstrates their successful reproduction at the colony and use in transport activities and identifies an adult domestic donkey with mixed European and West African ancestry, possibly supplied through undocumented exchange during a transatlantic stopover. These results reveal the challenges of equid translocation in early settlement of eastern North America and the global connectivity of early transatlantic animal exchange.

Archaeology

Animal Migration

Animals

Equidae - physiology

Horses - physiology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Early transatlantic movement of horses and donkeys at Jamestown
Creators: William Timothy Treal Taylor - University of Colorado Boulder
Nicolas Delsol - Université Laval
Vicky M Oelze - University of California, Santa Cruz
Peter Mitchell - Oxford Archaeology
Leah Stricker - Preservation Virginia
Michael Lavin - Preservation Virginia
Akin Ogundiran - Northwestern University
Lauren Hosek - University of Colorado Boulder
Christina Isabelle Barrón-Ortiz - Royal Alberta Museum
Olumide Ojediran - University of Colorado Boulder
Diana Quintero-Bisono - Museum of Boulder
Lucy Keith-Diagne - African Aquatic Conservation Fund, BP Joal, 23015, Senegal, West Africa
Dane Magoon - University of Leicester
Matthew E Hill Jr - University of Iowa, Anthropology
Ariane E Thomas - University of Iowa
Anna Waterman - Mount Mercy University
David W Peate - University of Iowa
Lorelei Chauvey - Centre d'Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse
Stéphanie Schiavinato - Centre d'Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse
Laure Calvière-Tonasso - Centre d'Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse
Luís Borges - Direção Regional dos Assuntos Culturais dos Açores, Rua da Conceição, Palacete Silveira e Paulo, 9700-054 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Aitor Brito-Mayor - Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Jonathan Santana - Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
George Kamenov - University of Florida
Ludovic Orlando - Centre d'Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse
John Krigbaum - University of Florida
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Science advances, Vol.11(36), p.eadw2595
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adw2595
PMID: 40901968
PMCID: PMC12407088
NLM abbreviation: Sci Adv
ISSN: 2375-2548
eISSN: 2375-2548
Publisher: AAAS
Grant note: National Science Foundation (NSF): 1949305 France Genomique National Infrastructure, as part of "Investissement d'avenir" program: ANR-10-INBS-09 CNRS International Research Project AnimalFarmFrance Genomique Appel a Grand Projet (MARENGO project): ANR-10-INBS-09-08 European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme: 101071707-HorsePower University of Colorado-Boulder Libraries Open Access Fund
This research was funded through an award by the National Science Foundation (NSF no. 1949305, "Horses and Human Societies in the American West") and by France Genomique National Infrastructure, as part of "Investissement d'avenir" program managed by Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (ANR-10-INBS-09); the CNRS International Research Project AnimalFarm; the France Genomique Appel a Grand Projet (ANR-10-INBS-09-08, MARENGO project); and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreements 681605-PEGASUS and 101071707-HorsePower). Publication of this article was funded bythe University of Colorado-Boulder Libraries Open Access Fund.
Language: English
Date published: 09/05/2025
Academic Unit: Anthropology; Honors Program
Record Identifier: 9984958605302771

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