Evidence of the Real Robinson Crusoe Found on Tiny Pacific Island
"He also passed time reading the Bible and singing psalms, and seems to have enjoyed a more peaceful and devout existence than at any other time in his life."
In what would become one of the most famous adventure stories in English literature, Daniel Defoe published Robinson Crusoe in 1719, based—some thought—on the real-life experience of sailor Alexander Selkirk who in 1704 was marooned on a small tropical Island in the Pacific for more than four years.
Now, according to a report in Science Daily, archaeological evidence has been found to support Selkirk's existence on the island of Aguas Buenas (aka Robinson Crusoe Island). The most compelling was the discovery of a pair of navigational dividers which could only have belonged to a ship's master or navigator, as evidence suggests Selkirk must have been.
Notes the report: "The finds also provide an insight into exactly how Selkirk might have lived on the island. Postholes suggest he built two shelters near to a freshwater stream, and had access to a viewpoint over the harbor from where he would be able to watch for approaching ships and ascertain whether they were friend or foe. Accounts written shortly after his rescue describe him shooting goats with a gun rescued from the ship, and eventually learning to outrun them, eating their meat and using their skins as clothing. He also passed time reading the Bible and singing psalms, and seems to have enjoyed a more peaceful and devout existence than at any other time in his life."
