Richard III - Solving a 500 Year Old Mystery

After his death in battle in 1485, the precise location of Richard III’s grave had been lost. An archaeological survey in 2012 under a council car park found the friary where he was rumoured to lie, and excavated a skeleton with a characteristically curved spine and battle injuries. Studies of the bones revealed the skeleton’s age, gender and deformity, while carbon-dating confirmed the timeframe. State-of-the-art CT scans helped to reveal details of his wounds, from which medieval weapons experts took clues. And genealogists tracked down living descendants who donated DNA samples for geneticists to analyse.

Combining all the information, the evidence is overwhelming that the skeleton under the car park is that of Richard III - the last King of England to die in battle.

This film was produced by External Relations, University of Leicester.

Filmed & Edited by Carl Vivian
Produced by Dr Turi King