Lost Colony

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Illustration of two colonial men examining a tree with the word "CROATOAN" carved into it, with an inset showing a close-up of the carving.

Map showing the location of the Lost Colony, an early English settlement, on the coast of present-day North Carolina. The map highlights North Carolina and its neighboring states, with the Lost Colony marked near the Atlantic Ocean. An inset globe in the corner provides geographic context within North America.

Lost Colony: Media

English settlement, North America

Videos

Illustration of two colonial men examining a tree with the word "CROATOAN" carved into it, with an inset showing a close-up of the carving.

What Happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke?

It's the oldest mystery in colonial America.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Map showing the location of the Lost Colony, an early English settlement, on the coast of present-day North Carolina. The map highlights North Carolina and its neighboring states, with the Lost Colony marked near the Atlantic Ocean. An inset globe in the corner provides geographic context within North America.

Lost Colony, Roanoke Island (now in North Carolina, U.S.)

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

VIEW MORE in these related Britannica articles: