It is believed that many of these
small industries were home activities carried on in the houses at
Jamestown. A few of these activities, and the products of them are
mentioned briefly.
SPINNING AND WEAVING
A few metal parts from spinning wheels and looms have been
excavated--reminders that the pioneer housewife who spun the thread and
yarn, and wove the cloth for her large family, was seldom idle.
MALTING AND BREWING
One Jamestown building or house (whose brick foundations were discovered
in 1955) appears to have been used for malting and brewing beer and ale,
or carrying out some activity requiring distillation. A few pieces of
lead were found which may have been part of a lead cistern for holding
barley. The three brick ovens that were uncovered may have been used
as drying kilns. A handle from a copper kettle was found near one of the
ovens, and pieces of copper and lead pipes were unearthed not far from
the building. The structure itself appears to have been used between
1625 and 1660.
[Illustration: SPINNING THREAD OR YARN AND WEAVING CLOTH WERE ENDLESS
CHORES FOR THE WOMEN LIVING IN THE SMALL WILDERNESS SETTLEMENT.
(Conjectural sketch by Sidney E. King.)]
[Illustration: BREWING BEER AT JAMESTOWN.
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