The Search for King Richard III University of Leicester

n the summer of 2013 University of Leicester Archaeological Services returned to the Greyfriars site where they found the remains of Richard III. A second dig at the site was necessary because Leicester City Council were about to start work on the King Richard III Visitor Centre, part of which would cover the archaeological site.

The second dig gave the archaeologists the chance to explore a much wider area than the 2012 dig and also gave opportunities to exhume further human remains from the site.

University of Leicester Archaeologists open the mysterious lead coffin found buried just feet from the former grave of King Richard III. The coffin was discovered in in August 2013 – one year after the remains of the former King of England were unearthed.

Inside the lead coffin, archaeologists found the skeleton of an elderly woman, who academics believe could have been an early benefactor of the friary – as radiocarbon dating shows she might have been buried not long after the church was completed in 1250 (although analysis shows her death could have taken place as late as 1400).

The high status female was in one of 10 graves discovered in the grounds of the medieval complex, including that of Richard III, six of which were left undisturbed. Those that were examined were all found to have female remains.

n the summer of 2013 University of Leicester Archaeological Services returned to the Greyfriars site where they found the remains of Richard III. A second dig at the site was necessary because Leicester City Council were about to start work on the King Richard III Visitor Centre, part of which would cover the archaeological site.

The second dig gave the archaeologists the chance to explore a much wider area than the 2012 dig and also gave opportunities to exhume further human remains from the site.

University of Leicester Archaeologists open the mysterious lead coffin found buried just feet from the former grave of King Richard III. The coffin was discovered in in August 2013 – one year after the remains of the former King of England were unearthed.

Inside the lead coffin, archaeologists found the skeleton of an elderly woman, who academics believe could have been an early benefactor of the friary – as radiocarbon dating shows she might have been buried not long after the church was completed in 1250 (although analysis shows her death could have taken place as late as 1400).

The high status female was in one of 10 graves discovered in the grounds of the medieval complex, including that of Richard III, six of which were left undisturbed. Those that were examined were all found to have female remains.

Dr Turi King and Professor Kevin Schϋrer discuss the findings of the genetic and genealogical analysis in the King Richard III case. This includes coverage of all the genealogical research, and the results of the mitochondrial and Y chromosome analysis.
It also includes the genetically-predicted hair and eye colour of Richard III as well as the results of the Bayesian analysis of all the evidence in the case to come to a conclusion about the identity of Skeleton 1 from the Greyfriars in Leicester.
The producers of the clip wish to express their grateful thanks to the Royal Collection Trust, Society of Antiquaries of London, Michael Ibsen, Wendy Duldig, Anooshka Rawden and John Holt.

Dr Turi King and Professor Kevin Schϋrer discuss the results of the Bayesian analysis of the all the evidence gathered in the search and scientific study of the skeletal remains found at the Greyfiars site in Leicester.
The findings of this analysis allowed them to put a statistical figure on how sure they are that these are the remains of Richard III.