The term "Roanoke" often refers to the lost colony established by English settlers in 1587 on Roanoke Island, located in present-day North Carolina. This colony was part of an attempt to establish a permanent English presence in the New World. When a supply ship returned in 1590, the settlers had mysteriously vanished, leaving behind only the word "CROATOAN" carved into a tree. The disappearance of the Roanoke colony remains one of America's oldest unsolved mysteries. Various theories suggest that the settlers may have integrated with local Native American tribes, faced harsh conditions, or succumbed to disease. The fate of the colonists continues to intrigue historians and archaeologists today.