Earlier this week, the Finding Croatoan team drove up to the mountains of North Carolina to spend the day with Andrew Lawler, the author of The Secret Token: Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke.
Have you read the book yet? It is incredible.
Andrew, after writing an article for National Geographic following archaeological digs happening at "Site X" in Bertie County as well as Buxton, NC -- with Scott Dawson and Dr. Mark Horton -- caught the fever that many do when diving deeper into the world of "America's Oldest Mystery."
This lead him to spend the next two years writing the book that came out in 2018.
On a rainy day in Asheville (thanks to Hurricane Zeta) we sat with Andrew for almost four hours talking about the theories, conflicting evidence, and the real reasons that people become obsessed with finding the Lost Colony of Roanoke.
Currently, Andrew is writing a new article for National Geographic about "Site Y," the location of a new dig happening in Bertie County, NC.
Ultimately, Mr. Lawler isn't sure that this mystery will ever be solved for good.
“Of course we want to solve the mystery. But if we solve the mystery, then we may actually have to confront those deeper, thorny issues that our country still faces today. That is, what does it really mean to be “American?”
What is it that drives us to chase this mystery so passionately?
Is it just for the sake of solving a riddle?
Or are we trying to answer a question about who we are?
Stay tuned for more news on Finding Croatoan! We have some exciting plans for releasing the film in late 2021/early 2022.
Because as you may know, this story continues to grow...
- Rain Bennett, Director