Confirmed: Skeleton of Richard III Found

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 2:39pm

I just thought this was fascinating.
Richard III dig: DNA confirms bones are king's

[SNAFU]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 3:12pm

Now we can finally have closure.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 3:20pm

Hahaha!

I was reading about this in various UK papers last week--before the DNA results were in--and found myself worrying that it would turn out not to be true. It never occurred to me to wonder why I cared so much.

But it is somehow fascinating. I think mostly seeing the spine, since there's been so much written about how his "hunchback" was largely an invention of Tudor historians.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 3:46pm

It's amazing how young he actually was. I think we all picture him as an older man because of the actors who have played him.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 3:52pm

This is a triumph for the archaeologists, the historians and the geneticists involved.

It doesn't rewrite history but it does raise a load of interesting questions, not least of which is where should he now be interred? It's not likely to be Westminster Abbey and there's already a bun fight starting between Leicester Cathedral and York Minster.

But he died, pre-reformation, a Catholic. And all the obvious choices are Anglican, courtesy of the son of his usurper.

Updated On: 2/4/13 at 03:52 PM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 3:52pm

This is truly fascinating...

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 3:52pm

His age surprised me, too.





Updated On: 2/4/13 at 03:52 PM

[madbrian]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 4:02pm

...and Jimmy Hoffa was found with him.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 4:14pm

I hope they find King Arthur next!

[SNAFU]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 4:23pm

I'm still waiting for them to find Jesus. Wouldn't that be a hoot!

Updated On: 2/4/13 at 04:23 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 4:32pm

Jesus is buried underneath a shooting range in Texas. It was his last wish to be near the guns he died protecting.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 4:33pm

Snafu, you made me snort at work...thanks!

[Scripps2]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 5:40pm

The documentary about the dig and the subsequent processes of verification has just finished and the final facial reconstruction, even without the scientific evidence, is just so convincing when compared to his portrait.

And it's a bit spooky as well, with the woman who was the project's emotional driving force "feeling" the spot where his remains were found before the dig had even started.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 5:42pm

It all sounds too good to be true.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 6:01pm

Fascinating is indeed the word. Does anyone know what made them dig at that particular spot? It seems so unlikely a place for that discovery.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 6:59pm

The Richard the Third Society has been funding this for years, it was thought that he had been buried in a church or monastery that had been dissolved w Hank VIII's Reformation.Last year a team led by University of Leicester archaeologist Richard Buckley identified a possible location of the grave through map regression analysis, starting with a current map of the general area of the former church and analyzing earlier maps to discover what had changed and not changed. Ground-penetrating radar was used to find the best places to start digging.

I read "Daughter of Time" by Josephine Tey as a teen and became a total Richard convert. It was my 1st real understanding of how the winners rewrite history to their own purposes. Plus sans change...

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/4/13 at 7:10pm

thanks Sabrelady!

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 2:16pm

Now is the winter of our disinterment.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 2:19pm

They've reconstructed his face. He looks remarkably like Lord Farquaad from "Shrek."

[OperaBwayLover]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 3:13pm

This is all pretty exciting. My sister and I are history buffs, so yesterday we were geeking out most of the day.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 8:27pm

My first thought was Prince Valium, the would-be husband of Princess Vespa in Space Balls, but now Farquaard is jumping out as well.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 11:41pm

Richard the III