Unearthing Richard III

[Erpingham]

Actually, the arrow turned out to be a nail in the grave fill, according to the Channel 4 documentary last night.  The body had 10 wounds, some at least post mortem.  Death was adjudged to have been caused by a huge cutting blow - perhaps a pollaxe - to the back of the skull.

The Richard III society didn't come out well from the documentary - a strange bunch devoted to a fantasy Richard, in denial about 15th century realpolitik.  I'm sure the real Ricardians are a much more nuanced bunch and that chose the fringe for dramatic effect - that's TV I suppose.  University of Leicester and the other assorted experts came out well though.  And the disbelief as it dawned on them that, not only was the building they were looking for in the trench, but they had come down on the right bit of the building and it contained a grave, and that grave contained a skeleton that looked very like the person they were after.....  this broke all the rules of archaeology

[Dave Knight]

Absolutely fascinating

Truth is stranger than fiction

[Duncan Head]

Planned reburial in Leicester Cathedral, they were saying today, though a faction in York want him reburied in York Minster because of his undoubted ties with that city.

But he was King of England - why not Westminster Abbey?

[Tim]

My Sister-in-Law is a member of the RIIIS - the ones they showed were the sane ones...

[MikeBrn]

In a Leicester car park for that length of time without being clamped? I suspect heads will roll at the next council gathering..........

Mike

[Patrick Waterson]

And there is the scandal of why he could not find a horse when he needed one ... recent news may shed some light upon this!