The Search for King Richard III of
England
Richard III ruled England from 1483 until he was slain
at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, fending off the invading army of Henry Tudor.
This battle is considered to be the last significant battle of the Wars of the
Roses. His body is believed to have been taken to the church of a Franciscan
friary known as Greyfriars and buried. However, the location of the church was
lost when, in 1538, King Henry VIII abolished the monasteries.
Today archaeologists believe that a car lot in
Leicester was once the site of Greyfriars.
On 24 August
2012, the University of Leicester and Leicester City Council, in association
with the Richard III Society, joined forces in the search for the mortal
remains of the King. The archaeology team is led by the University of Leicester
Archaeological Services (ULAS), and they are working
with British historian Dr. John Ashdown-Hill. Dr. Ashdown-Hill has tracked down
the bloodline of Richard III in
the 21st century through the use of genealogical research. The archaeologists
used ground-penetrating radar to determine the best spots to break ground and
during their excavations, they discovered the remains of what they believe to
be Greyfriars, the cloisters, and
chapter house. Their excavations were focused on the centre of the church,
typically the choir area, where it was indicated that Richard was interred.
The Archaeologists’
Goals:
·
To determine the location of the church on the
site and where Richard III’s body might be in the church.
·
To learn
more about medieval Leicester as well as learning about Richard III's last
resting place.
It was announced on 12 September 2012,
that the archaeologist discovered two skeletons, one female and one adult male.
The male skeleton had an arrow-head embedded in its back and received blows to
the skull consistent with injuries received in battle. Some sources record
Richard III being pulled from his horse and killed with a blow to the head. The
skeleton also showed severe scoliosis or curvature of the spine.
Evidence that this skeleton may be that
of Richard III is starting to mount up, prompting more investigations and
testing. The best clue that links this skeleton to Richard III is the severe
scoliosis, which would have made the right shoulder appear higher than the left
when the man was alive. However, the skeleton does not have kyphosis, or a hunchback
as Richard III has been portrayed in
historical, literary and media works. Even if the skeleton does not have
kyphosis, the severe scoliosis could in fact be what people at the time thought
was a hunched back. Philippa Langley, a member of the Richard III Society,
stated that if the skeleton is Richard III his remains will be properly buried
in Leicester Cathedral.
The
next step in identifying if this skeleton is, Richard III is DNA testing by Dr.
John Ashdown-Hill and his team. The testing will take up to twelve weeks to
complete. There will be more news to come.
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