The 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

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

Illustrations viThe Greyfriars Research Team ixAcknowledgements xii1 Investigating the Bones of a King 12 So How Did He Get There? (rb, mm) 53 The Bigger Picture 354 The Bones Tell Their Tale 575 Who was Richard? 786 The Cousins in the Swabs (tk, ks) 1097 What Did Richard Look Like? 1278 The Big Announcement 1399 The Afterlife of Richard III and the City That Never Forgot 15810 Richard Laid to Rest 174Appendix 1 191Appendix 2 209Index 211