Digging for Richard III

by Mike Pitts

  excavation, Augustinian Abbey 58–59; Austin Friars 38, 40–41, 44, 81; Highcross shopping centre 43, 80, 84; Highcross St 86; NatWest bank, 56, 68, 108; significance of 189–90, 193

  excavation, Greyfriars (2012): plans 97, 107; objectives 7–8, 61, 98–99, 105–6, 111, 127, 138; origins 47, 57–60; desk study 60–62, 65; significance for Richard III Society, 72–73, 76–77, 86, 98–99; written scheme of investigation 78–79, 85–86, 98; costs 83; fund raising 83–84, 86–88; launch 88, 92–95, 94; position of trenches 95–98; find Skeleton I 99–105; not open to public 100; filming 99, 103–4, 115–16, 118, 120, 122; find friary walls 106–09, team 108; weather 109; medieval tiled pavement 110; time window 108; find church 110–11, 123, 127; exhumation licence 112, 114; Skeleton I 115–33; Skeleton 2 117; site code 134–35; Richard III’s grave 121, 139; backfilling 139; open day 140; see also Trench 1 / 2/ 3; Skeleton I

  excavation, Greyfriars (2013) 102, 107, 121, 150, 146–47, 150–51

  facial reconstruction 168–72, 173, 180, 188; compared to portraits 172–77

  Farnaby, Simon 116, 118–19, 122–23, 129, 130, 134, 198n4

  Fortes, Gloria González 179

  Fotheringhay Castle 13, 19, 26, 29

  Fowler, John 69

  Foxhall, Lynn 142–43, 181, 182, 190, 199n6

  friaries, Leicester 195n10; see also Austin Friars; Black Friars; excavation; Greyfriars friary

  funding 7, 62, 82, 83–84, 86–88, 178, 199n1

  Glasgow, University of 157

  Gnanaratnam, Tony 108–9, 139

  Goad plans 69–70, 101

  Graham, Claire 93–94, 94

  Greyfriars friary 38, 59, 60, 61, 62, 107, 190; Dissolution, 34, 63, 68, 114; Richard III buried at 34, 45, 46, 52, 53, 59, 62–65, 142, 176, 182; standing wall 50, 51; precinct 53–54, 64, 65–68, 67, 77, 97, 146; Ashdown-Hill views on, 56–57, 60, 65, 80; map analysis 66–70, 81; skeletons found at 67–68; Roberts map 77, 97; church 80–81, 96, 121, 123, 127, 150, 184; chapter house 96, 107, 110–11, 115; see also excavation, Greyfriars (2012 / 2013)

  Grey Friars Project 72, 86, 114, 134, 138, 140, 186, 190; see also excavation, Greyfriars (2012 / 2013)

  Griffiths, Ralph 76

  ground-penetrating radar 81–83, 96

  Hainsworth, Sarah 148, 164, 167

  halberd 164, 166

  Hamilton, Derek 158

  Hamilton, Stuart 164

  Hedgeley Moor, Battle of 25, 29, 194n22

  Henry IV 16, 17, 18, 62

  Henry VI 16, 16–26

  Henry VII 15, 16, 17, 22, 28–29, 29, 34, 62–63, 184, 185

  Herrick, Robert 64–65, 66–67, 77, 111, 146

  Hexham, Battle of 25, 29, 194n22

  Hofreiter, Michael 179

  human remains: and public 105; excavating 112–14, 122, 126; study 145

  Hunt, Leon 62, 65, 66, 77, 78, 85, 94, 95, 98, 103, 105, 108–9, 123, 139

  Hutton, William 191, 192

  Ibsen, Joy 55, 150, 178

  Ibsen, Michael 94, 178, 180, 181

  JoinPoint 100–1

  Jones, Michael K. 50, 188, 191, 196n23

  Justice, Ministry of 99, 105, 113–14, 126, 162, 187

  Kendall, Paul Murray 49, 73, 194n15

  Kennedy, J. F. 74, 76, 197n8

  King, Turi 94, 105, 115, 116–17, 119, 122, 132, 136, 144, 147, 150, 179–80, 181, 182–83, 182

  Langley, Philippa: likes archaeology 8; her influence 47; early years 48; in Edinburgh 48–49; finds Kendall book 49–50; Richard III screenplay 50; visits Leicester 50–51; searches for grave 52–56; meets Ashdown-Hill 57; decides to dig for grave 57; contacts Darlow Smithson 57; contacts Leicester Council 58; contacts Buckley 47, 58–59; meets Buckley 60; commissions desk study 60–62; project aims 7, 61, 73, 98–99; TV plans 71; reburial plans 71–72, 114; relations with Buckley 72, 78; Richard III Society conference 72–73; and Carson 74, 86–87; Greyfriars maps 77–78, 81; fund-raises for written scheme of investigation 78, 85; commissions ground-penetrating radar survey 81–83; fund-raises for dig 83–84, 86–87; delays dig 84; launches dig 93; filming 99, 104, 115, 119, 129; watches dig 101, 120; and Skeleton I 104–5, 112, 115, 119, 122–23, 188–89; fronts press briefing 126; and Richard III’s remains 129–32, 142; ceremony at dig 133–35; fronts press conference 142; and DNA 177; and facial reconstruction 180, 188; February 2013 press conference 181; conflicts 186–87; and archaeology 188–89

  Leicester: Blue Boar Inn 34–35, 43, 185; Bow Bridge 32, 34, 35–38, 35, 36, 43–46, 55, 61, 63–65, 80, 187; Castle Gardens 44, 45; Guildhall 61, 79, 79–80, 97, 126, 186; Holiday Inn 60, 198n1; Jewry Wall Museum 114; Lutyens war memorial 39; maps 29, 61, 66–70, 77–78, 97; NatWest bank (Parr’s Bank) 52–53, 56, 58, 108; St Martin’s church 61, 68, 80 (see also Leicester Cathedral); see also car parks; friaries; Richard III, life in Leicester: memorials; Soar, River

  Leicester Adult Schools 87

  Leicestershire Archaeological Unit 39–40, 43

  Leicester Cathedral 46, 46, 64–66, 67–68, 79, 80, 86, 97, 102, 104, 114, 143, 187; see also Leicester: St Martin’s church

  Leicester City Council 57–58, 60–61, 81, 83–84, 87, 93, 114, 139, 187, 197n21

  Leicestershire County Council 70, 192, 197n27, 201n7

  Leicester Mercury 93, 94, 181

  Leicester Shire Promotions 83, 87

  Leicester streets: Bosworth St 33, 38; Friar Lane 66; Grey Friars 52, 53, 56, 64–67, 68, 101, 140; Highcross St 86 (see also excavation); King Richards Road 32, 33, 38, 41, 45, 187, 194n1(R); New Street 66–70, 101, 127, 136, 146; Peacock Lane 65, 66, 67, 68, 70; Richard III Road 33, 38; St Augustine Road 33, 38; St Francis Lane 65, 66; St Martins Lane 65, 67, 67, 68, 69, 127, 140; Tewkesbury St 33, 38; Tudor Close 33; Tudor Road 32, 38; Vernon St 38; Warwick St 33, 38

  Leicester, University of 39, 43, 59, 65, 72, 84, 87–88, 118, 120, 123, 134–35, 138–42, 148, 178–79, 180–82, 182, 185–87, 191; Dept of Engineering 148; Press Office 93, 100, 105, 144, 180–81; School of Archaeology and Ancient History 39, 88, 108, 118, 123, 142–43; Space Research Centre 147

  Leonardo da Vinci 11, 173

  Levitt, Sarah 83–84, 86

  Looking for Richard project 72–73, 138–40

  Losecoat Field, Battle of 26, 29, 194n24

  Loughborough University 155, 186

  Ludford Bridge, Battle of 22, 29, 194n14

  Manchester, University of 169

  Mancini, Dominic 167

  Mantel, Hilary 190

  maps see Buckley, Richard; Greyfriars friary; Langley, Philippa; Leicester: maps

  Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy, sister of Richard III 17, 54–55

  Margaret of Anjou, Queen 16, 21–26

  Mechelen 54–55

  Mirza, Ather 93–95, 105, 126–27, 144, 181

  Mitchell, Piers 153, 155, 156–57

  Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 55, 150, 177–80, 182, 201n34; defined 177

  More, Sir Thomas 168, 175

  Morgan, Bruno 148, 155

  Morris, Mathew: early interest in archaeology 84; works at ULAS 84; Guildhall book launch 80; helps written scheme of investigation 85; dig for friary 86; Highcross St evaluation 86; excavation launch 88, 95; plans dig 95, 98, 146; finds Skeleton I 99–105, 112, 146; no public interaction 100; keeps digging 108; finds church 110–11; day off 115; excavates Skeleton I 115–20, 122–24; finds Richard III 124, 126, 138–39; tells Buckley 127–28; at grave 85, 130; lifts Skeleton I 132; flag draped on Skeleton I 133–35; leaves site 136, 138; filming 95, 103, 104–5, 109, 116, 120, 128, 134–36; removes grave fill 139; post-excavation meeting 144; 2013 excavation 150

  Mortimer’s Cross, Battle of 24, 29, 194n19

  Moton, Sir William de 142, 158

  Mowbray, Anne 194n28

  nail, in Richard III’s grave 151–52

  National Portrait Gallery, London 172, 175, 200n17

  Neave, Richard 169–70

  Neville, Anne, daughter of Warwick the Kingmaker 16, 17, 21, 24, 174, 174

  Neville, Cecily, Ri
chard III’s mother 17, 19, 22–25, 194n15, 195n17

  Neville, Isabel, daughter of Warwick the Kingmaker 15, 16, 17

  Nicolay, Stephen 187

  Northampton, Battle of 23, 29, 194n16

  Nottingham, University of 123

  Novak, Shannon 162–63, 166

  O’Sullivan, Deirdre 123, 127–28, 144

  Olivier, Sir Laurence 10

  Oxford Ancestors 55

  Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit 157–58

  pillar, stone 64, 77

  Plantagenet Alliance, the 187

  Poppelau, Nicolas von 175–76

  post-excavation meeting 142–44

  press conferences: 12 September 2012 140–42; 4 February 2013 6, 131, 180–83, 182

  princes in the Tower, the 12, 27–28, 194n28

  Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education 186

  Radini, Anita 144

  radiocarbon dating 157–58

  reburial see Skeleton I

  Research Project of the Year 186

  Richard II 18, 62

  Richard III, life and Leicester: portraits 1, 21, 63, 75, 169, 172–75, 173, 174, 185; statue 45, 45; coat of arms 36, 36; family 12, 13–20, 16–17; birth 13, 19; life 10–12, 22–23, 25; marriage 16; as Duke of Gloucester 26; Woodville conspiracy 27–28; reign 28–30; death 12, 193; Henry VII tomb for 34, 60, 63; burial 34, 62–63, 98; character 6, 12–13, 26–27, 28, 49–50; image 73–74, 76–77; Shakespeare’s 10, 11, 12, 168; in Tudor histories 175; grave despoiled 34, 44, 46, 52–53, 55–56, 63–65; memorials 38; Broadbent stone 32, 34, 35, 46, 55; Blue Boar Inn 34–35; stone coffins 35, 195n4; Bow Bridge 35–36, 36; in cathedral 45–46, 46, 195n19; street names 32, 33, 38, 43; statue 45, 187; Richard III Society plaques 45–47, 52, 53, 196n6

  Richard III, found: burial undisturbed 55–56, 60, 64–65, 70; excavation 85, 114–36, 125; remains announced 6, 181–83; study of remains 145–48, 149, 150–58, 160, 163–67, 169–71; appearance 174–76; scoliosis 74, 131–32, 174–76; DNA 54–55, 57, 138, 179–80, 182–83; living relatives 54–55, 94, 150, 177, 178–79; impact of finding 184–87, 189–90; reburial plans 71–72, 114, 193; new tomb 71–72, 77, 187; cathedral service 86; council plaque 187; new sculpture 187, 201n7; see also Skeleton I

  Richard III Society 44–47, 50, 52, 53, 54–57, 58, 61–62, 72–73, 76, 82–83, 86–87, 89–90, 93, 98, 108, 134, 138–39, 185, 187, 190, 191, 199n1, 201n8

  Ramesses III 147

  Roberts, Thomas 66, 69, 77, 97

  Robinson, Claire 148

  Ross, Charles 76, 160

  Rous, John 63, 98, 175, 176

  Ruding, Roger 67

  Rutty, Guy 148, 154, 165

  Rylance, Mark 11

  Rynn, Chris 170

  St Albans: first Battle of 20, 29, 160, 194n11; second Battle of 24, 29, 194n20

  St Martin’s church, Leicester 61, 68, 80

  Salisbury, Richard Neville, Earl of 16, 24

  Salisbury Cathedral 96

  Sawday, Debbie 144

  school playground 56, 69, 107, 110–11, 114, 121, 127, 197n21, 198n3(L)

  Schürer, Kevin 144, 150, 178–79, 181, 182, 187

  scoliosis 74, 132, 140, 148, 155–56, 200n17(L)

  Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre 157–58

  Shakespeare, William 6, 10–12, 19, 24, 48, 49, 54, 73, 140, 168–69, 175, 186, 201n25

  Shrewsbury 30, 55

  Skeleton I 125, 149, discovery 99–100, 102–5; exhumation licence 112, 114; uncovering 115–31, 152, 188–89; TV filming 115–16, 120, 122, 128–29, 130, 134; wounds seen on site 120, 122, 130–31; damage 121, 146; spinal curvature on site, 124, 128, 130–31; suspected arrowhead/nail in back 133, 151–52; removal from ground 132–33; removal from site 133–36, 138; grave 115, 121, 139, 150–51; location in Greyfriars church 115–16; tentatively identified as Richard III 122–124, 126–32, 139, 142–43; storage 138; discovery revealed 142; analysis 145–46; survival 146–47; cleaning 147; CT scan 147–48; computer model 155–56; not decapitated 152; sex 152–53, 170; age 153–54; height 154, 156; spinal curvature 124, 155–56; worms 156–57; diet 157–58; date 157–58; analysis of wounds 131, 160, 163–65; death 160, 164–67; alternative identification 142, 158; facial reconstruction 168–72, 173, 180, 188; facial reconstruction compared to portraits 172–77; DNA analysis 104, 132, 135–36, 138, 142, 147, 152, 171, 177–80, 182–83; identity revealed 180-83; reburial 71, 114, 138, 142–43, 187, 193; skull 119–20, 122, 130, 131, 146, 152, 164, 170; spine 124, 125, 126, 128, 131–33, 155, 160, 185; arms 132; teeth 153, 154; nose 171; feet 121, 145; hands 124, 132, 151, 163

  Skeleton 2 117

  Soar, River 32, 35, 37–38, 46, 53, 56, 61, 64, 80, 114, 122, 197n27

  Society of Antiquaries 75, 173–74, 200n19

  Somerset, Duke of 16, 19–20

  Soulsby, Sir Peter 80, 141–42

  Speed, John 36–37, 63–64

  Spitalfields 152–53

  Spooner, Anne 178

  Stell, Steve 100–1, 104, 116

  Stone, Phil 82, 87, 185, 191

  Stratascan 82, 93–94

  Sutton Cheney 30, 90, 198n20

  Taylor, Richard 87–88, 127, 140–41, 181, 186

  Tewkesbury, Battle of 26, 29, 194n26

  Tey, Josephine 44, 49, 73, 195n17

  Throsby, John 64, 67–70

  Time Team 47, 56–58, 60, 82, 89, 103, 196n8

  Times, The 143, 155

  Tonasso, Laure 180

  Towton, Battle of 24–25, 29, 161–63, 165, 166–67, 194n21

  Trench 1 94, 97, 98, 99–106, 107, 108–11, 112, 115, 115, 121, 127–28

  Trench 2 98, 101, 102, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 112

  Trench 3 107, 109–11, 116–17, 118, 120, 123, 127–28, 139

  Tudor-Craig, Pamela 175

  Tutankhamun 129–30, 148, 198–99n12

  Université Paul Sabatier 179–80

  University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust 148

  University of Leicester Archaeological Services 39, 43, 57, 58–59, 62, 68, 72, 80, 84, 88, 89, 108, 110, 113, 134, 144, 147

  University of York 179–80

  van Eyck, Jan 172–73

  Vergil, Polydore 63, 176

  visitor centre, Leicester 187, 197n21

  Vivian, Carl 120, 123, 128–30, 144

  Wakefield, Battle of 24–26, 29, 194n17

  Walpole, Horace 73

  Wardle, Chris 85

  Ware, Julian 57

  Wars of the Roses 10, 16, 20–30, 29, 89, 160–61

  Warwick, Richard Neville, Earl of (the Kingmaker) 15, 16, 25–26, 174

  Warzynski, Peter 143, 181

  Waterstone’s, Edinburgh 49, 78, 138

  Wilkinson, Caroline 148, 167, 169–72, 173, 174, 188

  Woosnam-Savage, Bob 163–65

  Worsley, Lucy 190

  Wren, Christopher 64, 77

  written scheme of investigation 78–79, 85–86, 98, 104

  York, Richard Duke of 16–19, 17, 20–24, 26

  York Archaeological Trust 40

  York city 24, 27, 28, 195n6, 201n25

  York Minster 143, 187, 199n4

  Young, Michael H. 155

  Originally published in the United Kingdom in 2014 as

  Digging for Richard III: How Archaeology Found the King

  ISBN 978-0-500-25200-0

  by Thames & Hudson Ltd, 181a High Holborn, London WC1V 7QX

  and in the United States of America by

  Thames & Hudson Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10110

  Digging for Richard III © 2014 Thames & Hudson Ltd, London

  Text © 2014 Digging Deeper Ltd

  Quotation p. 6 reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd © 2009 Hilary Mantel

  This electronic version first published in 2014 by Thames & Hudson Ltd, 181a High Holborn, London WC1V 7QX

  This electronic version first published in 2014 in the United States of America by Thames & Hudson Inc.,

  500 Fifth Aven
ue, New York, New York 10110.

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  ISBN 978-0-500-77204-1

  ISBN for USA only 978-0-500-77205-8

  On the cover: Portrait: Richard III, by an unknown artist, oil on panel. National Portrait Gallery,

  London. Map: British Isles, Grazioso Benincasa, Portolano, 1473. British Library, London.