. ▁While ▁it ▁is ▁conce iv able ▁to ▁sequence ▁DNA ▁from ▁ 4 3 0 - year - old ▁b ones , ▁there ▁are ▁as ▁yet ▁no ▁b ones ▁from ▁the ▁Lost ▁Col ony ▁to ▁work ▁with . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁the ▁project ▁has ▁yet ▁to ▁identify ▁any ▁living ▁descend ants ▁either . ▁ ▁Hyp oth eses ▁about ▁the ▁disapp earance ▁ ▁Without ▁evidence ▁of ▁the ▁Lost ▁Col ony ' s ▁re location ▁or ▁destruction , ▁spec ulation ▁about ▁their ▁fate ▁has ▁end ured ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 5 9 0 s . ▁ ▁The ▁matter ▁has ▁developed ▁a ▁reputation ▁among ▁academ ics ▁for ▁attract ing ▁ob session ▁and ▁sens ational ism ▁with ▁little ▁sch ol astic ▁benefit . ▁ ▁Con ject ure ▁about ▁the ▁Lost ▁Col on ists ▁typically ▁begins ▁with ▁the ▁known ▁facts ▁about ▁the ▁case . ▁ ▁When ▁White ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁col ony ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 0 , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁sign ▁of ▁battle ▁or ▁withdraw al ▁under ▁dur ess , ▁although ▁the ▁site ▁was ▁fort ified . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁no ▁human ▁remains ▁or ▁gra ves ▁reported ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁suggesting ▁everyone ▁left ▁alive . ▁ ▁The ▁" C RO AT O AN " ▁message ▁is ▁consistent ▁with ▁the ▁agreement ▁with ▁White ▁to ▁indicate ▁where ▁to ▁look ▁for ▁them , ▁suggesting ▁they ▁expected ▁White ▁to ▁look ▁for ▁them ▁and ▁wanted ▁to ▁be ▁found . ▁ ▁Integr ation ▁with ▁local ▁tribes ▁ ▁People ▁have ▁considered ▁the ▁possibility ▁that ▁the ▁missing ▁colon