WILLIAMSBURG, Va., June 16, 2009 -- James City County will provide $150,000 during the fiscal year beginning July 1 in support of the special exhibition “Werowocomoco: Seat of Power,” scheduled to open May 15, 2010, at Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia.
Werowocomoco was the principal residence of Powhatan, the paramount chief of 30-some Indian tribes in Virginia’s coastal region at the time English colonists arrived in 1607. Recent archaeological excavations have revealed not only that the York River site was a uniquely important place during Powhatan’s time, but also that its role as a political and social center predated the Powhatan chiefdom. The six-month exhibition, the first time artifacts from the Werowocomoco site will be displayed in a museum setting, will examine the relationship between material culture and political authority in the region from prehistoric times through the early years of the 17th century.
“This exhibition will offer a significant learning experience for area residents and bring new audiences to the Historic Triangle,” said Philip Emerson, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, the Virginia state agency that operates Jamestown Settlement. “We are very appreciative of James City County’s continuing strong commitment to our educational programs.”
Jamestown Settlement, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, until 6 p.m. through August 15, is located southwest of Williamsburg on Route 31 at the Colonial Parkway next to Historic Jamestowne, site of the 1607 English settlement. Permanent museum exhibits include expansive exhibition galleries and outdoor re-creations of an early 17th-century Powhatan Indian village, the three ships that brought America’s first permanent English colonists to Virginia in 1607 and a 1610-14 colonial fort.
The current special exhibition “Jamestown and Bermuda: Virginia Company Colonies” runs through October 15. “Werowocomoco: Seat of Power” will be in place May 15 through November 15, 2010. Jamestown Settlement general admission of $14.00 for adults and $6.50 for ages 6 through 12 includes admission to special exhibitions.
For more information, call (888) 593-4582 toll-free or (757) 253-4838 or visit www.historyisfun.org.
