Archaeologists have solved the centuries-old mystery behind the oldest known tombstone in the United States carrying an English knight, illuminating in the process the complexities of ancient trade routes.

The provenance of the 17th-century tombstone from the Jamestown, Virginia, colony, has been identified in a study.

Jamestown, Virginia, was founded in 1607 and was the first English permanent settlement in America. It has been the subject of many archaeological and historical analyses, including a recent study by Prof.

An Englishman named Sir George Yeardley was likely the first person in the USA to be memorialized with a tombstone, say the authors of a new study. In addition to identifying the long-dead owner of the ancient grave marker,