UK Car park skeleton confirmed as Richard III

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A skeleton found beneath a Leicester car park has been confirmed as that of English king Richard III.

Experts from the University of Leicester said DNA from the bones matched that of descendants of the monarch's family.

Lead archaeologist Richard Buckley, from the University of Leicester, told a press conference to applause: "Beyond reasonable doubt it's Richard."

Richard, killed in battle in 1485, will be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21063882

This is really exciting news! :D
 
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I'm just really excited that now we know exactly which deformities he had and which were made up.
 
I saw this earlier. It is exciting, and really remarkable, what can be done these days.

I've always had a soft spot for Richard III; I suspect he has been badly done by by history writers (not to mention Shakespeare, sucking up to the Tudors).
 
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How did the bones survive in such good condition?

If he was found under a parking lot, it implies that where ever he was buried wasn't a notable place (because it would have still been standing). And this futher implies that not much care was taken to bury him.
 
beancounter said:
How did the bones survive in such good condition?

If he was found under a parking lot, it implies that where ever he was buried wasn't a notable place (because it would have still been standing). And this futher implies that not much care was taken to bury him.
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He was buried beneath Greyfriars church in Leicester which was then destroyed in the Reformation (5 centuries ago) and the exact location of the church was lost. And yes it was a hurried burial.
 
Yes, hurried and no care at all taken in burying him - no coffin or anything of that sort. Evidence of perimortem *humiliation* injuries, including an upward stab wound in the pelvic area (possibly sodomization with a sword). A burial meant to dispose of a body quickly, without ceremony or marker.
 
mlp said:
Yes, hurried and no care at all taken in burying him - no coffin or anything of that sort. Evidence of perimortem *humiliation* injuries, including an upward stab wound in the pelvic area (possibly sodomization with a sword). A burial meant to dispose of a body quickly, without ceremony or marker.
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Well yeah. He was the loser after all. That's why I'm so pleased they have IDed him as we now know that a lot of the deformities he was supposed to have were just Tudor propaganda.
 
They're saying that the positioning of the arms points to him being buried with his arms still tied behind him.

All of these details bring a sense of immediacy to these events which occurred so many centuries ago. Fascinating and, for me at least, emotional. When I was younger, I read a lot of Plantagenet history - so much drama, tragedy and intrigue, it all was very alive for me.
 
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I honestly wasn't too familiar with Richard III, but this news, and even this thread, has sparked my interest. Time to head to Amazon and do some shopping.
 
Mr Crunchy said:
Did they find his horse?
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It's probably buried under the fish counter in a local supermarket.

Sorry, just a bit of local history. There is an Iron Age horse burial underneath the fish counter in my local Sainsbury's. And in the same retail park, underneath the Park & Ride car park is a load of Iron Age huts.
 
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