Can You Imagine It? They Found the Last Plantagenet!

Richard III

I have said already a couple of times that archeologists do not call press conferences for no reason, when they're not sure. I'm sure they're not sure most of the time.

So when the Richard III Dig folks from the University of Leicester Archeology Dpt called a press conference, everyone jumped up (or rather, jumped on.. line) and listened.

Via a live webcast from the BBC,  the panel explained the digging area on the old site of the Greyfriars Church, where it was rumoured King Richard III had been buried.  The site has been researched and found under a car park in Leicester.

Tacky but clever  info panels at the RIII Museum York. 

From there they explained the finds, and then talked through some compelling clues regarding the full male skeleton they've discovered. A head injury. An arrow in the spine. An extreme case of scoliosis.  A raised shoulder, but no hunch. A burial position within the church in a prime position by the quire.

Tests are yet to be done, but this is  quite possibly Richard III, killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field (22/08/1485). The battle was won of course by little known Henry Tudor who was crowned as Henry VII.  And so the Tudor dynasty commenced...

If this this is the skeleton of Richard III that would be tremendously exciting. It would give history some answers to his physicality and answer the long debate regarding the hunch and other physical characteristics, mostly now doubted to be true.

There are lots of them....

What it will not give light to are the details of his life, his thoughts, deliberations, character or deeds. It won't solve the ever overhanging shadow regarding the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.

If this is not Richard III, who is it?
Who is the woman buried close by?

It may have happened hundreds of years ago, but there is still so much more to discover.  Tonight many historians are punching the air.  We hope indeed that they have found Richard III and have proven Shakespeare to be a great entertainer and writer embellishing the truth, but not the historian which some mistake him for.

Cue the song and the sketch:


                   Jim Howick as Richard III

                                                                  
                                                                                   With Mat Baynton as Shakespeare


The context in which this puts the "tudor propaganda" will be interesting.  There are lots of "ifs" here but had Richard had extreme scoliosis, then it could be a win/win situation.  Richard III could be no hunchback but nor did More and Shakespeare simply make it all up. We'll see....


Further Reading:

Background

Big click here for report from University of Leicester Archeology Search For Richard
Big click here for update from "Current Archeology"
Big click here for more detail on the dig and evidence via the BBC


For commentary and thoughts:

Big click here for Greg Jenners excitement and sensible perspective.