It was long believed the original James Fort had disappeared into the James River until it was rediscovered in 1994.
Archaeologists have now unearthed more than 5 million artifacts.
Glass bottles, pottery, tools, beads and human remains have transformed historians' understanding of England's first successful colony and the people whose lives converged here: English settlers, the Powhatan people and the first enslaved Africans brought to English America.
But Jamestown is under attack from rising waters. Sea level here has risen about 1.6 feet over the last century.
That's now accelerating and scientists project another three feet of rise or more by 2075.
The James River steadily chews away at one side of the island while expanding wetlands encroach from the other.
Excavation pits now regularly flood after heavy rain or unusually high tides.
"We always have to be meticulous," Romo says.
"But we do need to pick the pace up because we are under severe threat from climate change.
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And the real big one for us is flooding."
Ground-penetrating radar now helps researchers identify what lies beneath the surface before they ever break ground, allowing them to focus on areas most at risk.
Every excavation has become an exercise in triage to decide which pieces of history can be saved before the water reaches them.
Broader Coastal Threat
Jamestown is among the most visible examples of a problem unfolding all along America's coastlines.
