King Richard III, 15th Century England Monarch, found lying under a Parking lot?

King Richard III, 15th Century England Monarch, found lying under a Parking lot? February 3, 2013

History has a great way to level the playing field for people.

Well, while leveling the parking lot, skeletal remains were found under a municipal parking lot in central England.  Many believe that these remains are of King Richard III.  This 15th century King ruled England between 1483 and 1485 after a deadly and bloody battle to the throne, known as the “War of Roses”.  He was also immortalized – as a villain, albeit – by William Shakespeare in a play where the King was characterized as a hunchback usurper.  On his way to the throne, this monarch killed many including his two young nephews.

He was challenged and then killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field by the army of Henry Tudor.  Henry Tudor later became King Henry VII.  KIng Richard’s body was always a mystery.  Where was it?  Now the answer may be at hand.

archaeologists searching for Richard dug up the skeleton of an adult male who appeared to have died in battle. There were signs of trauma to the skull, perhaps from a bladed instrument, and a barbed metal arrowhead was found between vertebrae of the upper back.

The remains also displayed signs of scoliosis, which is a form of spinal curvature, consistent with contemporary accounts of Richard’s appearance, though not with Shakespeare’s description of him as “deform’d, unfinished,” hunchback.

The university has said the findings amount to “strong circumstantial evidence” that the remains are Richard’s.

The skeleton’s DNA will be matched with a London politician who is the 17th great-grand-nephew of the king’s elder sister to see if this is indeed the King lying under the parking lot for so long?  The answer – results of the DNA test are awaited tomorrow!

 

 

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