Famed British archaeologist Dr. Mark Horton will host a special presentation on The Lost Colony on March 19 in Rodanthe

What happened to Sir Walter Raleigh’s colonists?

Renowned British archaeologist Dr. Mark Horton will be visiting Hatteras Island in March and will be hosting a special presentation to help resolve the mystery of the abandoned English colony on Roanoke Island – a mystery since 1590, when John White returned to the Roanoke Island-based “Cittie of Raleigh” to find it empty, with the initials CRO carved on a nearby oak tree.

Dr. Mark Horton is a historical archaeologist who has led expeditions all around the world to trace the global history of European expansion.

He is a professor of archaeology and pro vice-chancellor at the Royal Agricultural University in the United Kingdom. Horton is also a regular presenter on TV, including the BBC and the Science Channel.

Dr. Horton has been excavating on Hatteras Island for the last decade to uncover the remnants of the 16th and 17th-century Native American settlements, where it is believed the English settled.

He will be sharing new information about the Elizabethan artifacts that have been uncovered in Buxton, and will provide insight on whether there might have been descendants of the original Roanoke Island colony surviving into the 18th century.

The presentation will take place at Goodwinds Restaurant in Rodanthe at 6:00 p.m. on March 19, and the event is free and open to the public.

The public can also learn more about this rich chapter in local history with a visit to The Lost Colony Museum in Buxton, where Dr. Horton can also be found on March 18 and March 19, prior to the special Rodanthe event.

For more information on The Lost Colony and its Hatteras Island connections, click here.