A new free exhibition dedicated to the search for Richard III opened today (8 Feb) at Leicester’s Guildhall.
Richard III: Leicester’s search for a king reveals the archaeological detective work that led to the rediscovery of Greyfriars church, the location of Richard’s grave, and the identification of his remains.
Displays place these findings in their historical context, exploring what written sources tell us about the king’s life and death, and compare these to clues provided by analysis of his bones, from scoliosis to battle wounds.
Interactive touchscreen panels allow visitors to examine these pathologies, while Loughborough University have also loaned a model of the monarch’s skull, created by 3D printing based on CT scans of the remains.
Finds from the Greyfriars excavation are also on display, including decorated floor tiles and masonry from the Medieval church, as well as an accurate model of the Blue Boar Inn, the building in Leicester where Richard spent the night before leaving for Bosworth.
The exhibition is free and it is expected to remain at the Guildhall until a permanent visitor centre is built.
Is all DNA evidence finally in to erase any and all doubts about the identity of these remains?
Yes, the mitochondrial DNA from 17th generation relative, Micheal Ibsen and also an anonymous second lineage both matched that of the Grey Friars skeleton – as if the rest of the evidence weren’t enough to confirm the identity anyway!
A descendant proven by genealogy not DNA. DNA only matches the skeletal remains to living individuals; one unidentified. The remains exhibit remarkably few injuries; several to skull and one to hip. So history is wrong stating how his remains were savaged in death. What was the rush to conclude this inquiry? And it was rushed. Until DNA from Richard the 3rd’s kin, sibling or one of their immediate decesdants, this looks more like one of our poorly done American reality tv than credible scientific and historical inquiry. Genealogy is not DNA.