As an Outer Banks native so familiar with the story of the The Lost Colony, I sometimes forget that it is truly one of our country's greatest unsolved mysteries. I recently came across an article in Smithsonian Magazine that reminded me what an enigma the disappearance of those 117 men, women and children remains today, nearly 450 years later.

In 1587, the colonist arrived on Roanoke Island to establish the first English settlement in the New World. Just three years later, when English ships returned to replenish supplies, they had disappeared leaving only one clue -- the word Croatan carved into a post, referring to a settler-friendly Native American tribe local to present-day Hatteras.

Twenty years ago, when excavators unearthed a gold prancing lion ring at a site in Hatteras, and a researcher linked the ring to a family involved in Sir Walter Raleigh's voyages, many were hopeful the new artifact may shed light on what happened to the fabled early settlers of our coastline.

According to the Smithsonian Magazine article, however, the ring was not really gold. Further testing revealed the ring to be brass, casting doubts on whether the artifact indeed belonged to one of the original colonists, or whether it made its way to the island via the second wave of settlement nearly a century later. The research community remains divided on which scenario is likeliest.

Teams of archaeologists continue to dig at a Hatteras site and also at the head of the Albemarle Sound in search of the next great artifact that may provide answers about the earliest settlers.

For now, our curiosity may have to be quenched with dramatic rendition. This year's The Lost Colony production is just around the corner, starting next month on May 26 through August 19. Tickets starting at $20 can be purchased here.