Bones of a King

The dramatic story of Richard III, England's last medieval king, captured the world's attention when an archaeological team led by the University of Leicester identified his remains in February 2013. The Bones of a King presents the official behind-the-scenes story of the Grey Friars dig from the team of specialists who discovered and identified his remains

• The most extensive and authoritative book written for non-specialists by the expert team who discovered and analysed the remains of Richard III

• Features more than 40 illustrations, maps and photographs

• Builds an expansive view of Richard's life, death and burial, as well as accounts of the treatment of his body prior to burial, and his legacy in the public imagination from the time of his death to the present

• Explains the scientific evidence behind his identification, including DNA retrieval and sequencing, soil samples, his wounds and his scoliosis, and what they reveal about his life, his health and even the food he ate

• A behind-the-scenes look at one of the most exciting historical discoveries of our time

Auteur

The Grey Friars Research Team, co-ordinated by the University of Leicester, is a multi-disciplinary group of specialists brought together for the excavation and analysis of the Grey Friars site where the remains of Richard III were identified in 2013. The team includes the following experts, listed alphabetically: Jo Appleby, Julian Boon, Richard Buckley, Richard Earp, Jane Evans, Sarah Hainsworth, Norman Housley, Turi King, Sarah Knight, Mark Lansdale, Phillip Lindley, Mary Ann Lund, Ather Mirza, Piers Mitchell, Bruno Morgan, Mathew Morris, Deirdre O'Sullivan, Anita Radini, Guy Rutty, Kevin Schurer, Caroline Wilkinson, and Robert Woosnam-Savage.

Lin Foxhall is a Professor in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester. She was Head of the School at the time of the discovery and has been directly involved in much of the subsequent research, analysis and publication.

Maev Kennedy, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries, studied history at University College Dublin, and now writes on archaeology and the arts for the Guardian. She is a recipient of the Current Archaeology award for her archaeological journalism.

Contenu

Illustrations vi

The Greyfriars Research Team ix

Acknowledgements xii

1 Investigating the Bones of a King 1

2 So How Did He Get There? (rb, mm) 5

3 The Bigger Picture 35

4 The Bones Tell Their Tale 57

5 Who was Richard? 78

6 The Cousins in the Swabs (tk, ks) 109

7 What Did Richard Look Like? 127

8 The Big Announcement 139

9 The Afterlife of Richard III and the City That Never Forgot 158

10 Richard Laid to Rest 174

Appendix 1 191

Appendix 2 209

Index 211