These are bony plates known as scutes, which line the bodies of sturgeon. Tens of thousands of sturgeon scutes have been recovered from James Fort.

A sturgeon may live up to 60 years, weigh up to 800 pounds and reach lengths of up to 15 feet. Sturgeon are anadromous fish, leaving salty waters to spawn. The Jamestown colonists report that the sturgeon were plentiful in the James River from May until September.