Traces of the Real Crusoe Unearthed

A dig has unearthed remnants of the real-life Robinson Crusoe’s stay on an island west of Chile, the BBC reports. Daniel Defoe’s character is said to have been based on a sailor who was rescued from the island in 1709. Traces of his four-year presence include post-holes from shelters he built and navigational instruments from his era. The island, Aguas Buenas, was renamed Robinson Crusoe Island after Defoe’s novel.

“The evidence uncovered at Aguas Buenas corroborates the stories of Alexander Selkirk's stay on the island and provides a fascinating insight into his existence there," says a Scottish museum rep. The findings were published in the journal Post-Medieval Archaeology.
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