CROATOAN

Croatoan is a word famously found carved into a post at the abandoned settlement of Roanoke Island in 1590. The disappearance of the English colonists from Roanoke is one of America's oldest mysteries. When Governor John White returned to the colony after a three-year delay due to war with Spain, he found the settlement deserted. The only clue left behind was the word "CROATOAN" carved into a tree and "CRO" carved into another. There were no signs of struggle or distress.

The meaning of Croatoan is widely believed to refer to the Croatoan people, a Native American tribe who lived on nearby Hatteras Island and were known to have friendly relations with the Roanoke colonists. Governor White had instructed the colonists to carve a Maltese cross if they were forced to leave under duress. The absence of this symbol, combined with the word Croatoan, led many to believe the colonists had voluntarily relocated to live with or among the Croatoan tribe.

Several theories attempt to explain the disappearance. One possibility is assimilation with the Croatoan people, leading to the eventual absorption of the colonists into the tribe. Another theory suggests the colonists may have been attacked by hostile tribes or Spanish forces, although no evidence of such an event was found at the site. Later archaeological findings and oral traditions from the Lumbee tribe in North Carolina, who claim descent from the Roanoke colonists, offer further, though often debated, insights into the fate of the lost colony. The mystery of Croatoan continues to fascinate historians and the public alike.