Confirmed: Bones of King Richard III Found under Parking Lot

DNA analysis confirms that bones excavated from underneath a parking lot in Leicester, England, are the remains of the vilified English king, Richard III


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The man would've had so-called idiopathic adolescent-onset scoliosis, meaning the cause is unclear though the individual would have developed the disorder after age 10; the curvature would've put pressure on the man's heart and lungs and could've caused pain, Appleby said. However, unlike historical records would suggest, the skeleton of Richard III showed no signs of a withered arm.

Appleby and her colleagues found and examined 10 wounds on the skeleton, including eight on the skull. None of the wounds could have been inflicted after the body was buried, though some of the wounds are consistent with being post-mortem, possibly as a way to further humiliate the king in 1485, Appleby said.

What does the discovery mean for the king's villainous reputation?

"It will be a whole new era for Richard III," Lynda Pidgeon of the Richard III Society told the Associated Press. "It's certainly going to spark a lot more interest. Hopefully people will have a more open mind toward Richard."

Where will they be re-interred? The University of Leicester has jurisdiction over the remains, and said today the Richard III skeleton would be buried under Leicester Cathedral.

Other interested parties had voiced their own opinions: The Richard III Foundation and the Society of Friends of Richard III, based in York, England, argue the remains should be reburied in York, since the king was fond of that city. The Richard III Society has remained officially neutral. Meanwhile, some online petitions have argued the reburial should take place at Westminster Abbey or Windsor Castle.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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  1. 1. ErnestPayne 04:35 PM 2/11/13

    It was only recently that the correct site of the Battle of Bosworth Field was located. I look forward to the documentary about the discovery of the body.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  2. 2. American Muse 06:44 PM 2/13/13

    FYI, it's Wars (not War) of the Roses.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
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Confirmed: Bones of King Richard III Found under Parking Lot

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