Heritage

Every nation offers clues about the way they see themselves in the way they preserve their historic buildings and cherished artefacts.

In this four-part Heritage series Malcolm Billings explores the archaeology of patriotism in the USA.

He looks at the places, events and objects that Americans hold dear. And asks how these influence the way they show affection for their nation.

Part One: Archaeology

Malcolm journeys through the beginnings of American history, via the USS Constitution and the Stars and Stripes, and ends with a visit to the historic town of Jamestown.

Until recently, the Jamestown settlement was believed to have been washed away by the changing currents of the James River, and that nothing survived of the first fortified town. Only in 1994 did the first sign of what had happened begin to emerge.

Slowly archaeologists have uncovered pieces of the lives of their forefathers, adding substance to the legend of America's noble pioneer roots.