The lost colony of Roanoke Island is a captivating mystery that many Americans learn about as schoolchildren in history class. An entire colony of people seemingly vanished in the 1580s, a couple decades after the first permanent European settlement was established in North America. The only remaining clue they left behind was the word “Croatoan” carved on a tree. Various theories abounded, including that they were killed by Native Americans, Spaniards, or an outbreak of disease, or that the settlers assimilated into different Native American communities, but no definitive answer has been found.