Researchers are not saying they have found King Richard III's remains, but DNA test results in up to 12 weeks should clear that right up. The remains were said to have been hidden within the choir of a medieval church known as Greyfriars, where historical records suggested Richard III was buried upon his battle death in 1485, but the location of that church had been lost.
Fast forward to the present, and two skeletons were discovered: a female, in what is believed to be the Presbytery of the lost Church; and the other, which appears to be an adult male, was found in the church choir and shows signs of trauma to the skull and back before death - consistent with a battle injury. In addition, a barbed metal arrowhead was lodged between the vertebrae of the male skeleton's upper back, and spinal abnormalities are evident that suggest the individual had severe scoliosis - consistent with contemporary (and Shakespearean) accounts of Richard’s appearance.
University of Leicester archaeologists began excavating the parking lot of the Leicester City Council building in search of the church and the king's remains, and have turned up a Franciscan friary, a 17th-century garden, and various other artifacts. Media coverage is absent of what details led them to that site, but with the Olympics over, perhaps the English are just looking to keep themselves occupied.
No comments:
Post a Comment