Exhumation of Richard III of England

What it is

In August 2012, archaeologists in Leicester, England, excavated the site of the former Greyfriars Friary and discovered human remains later confirmed to be those of King Richard III, who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. The search was led by University of Leicester Archaeological Services with the Looking for Richard project, supported by the Richard III Society. DNA testing compared the remains to descendants of Richard's sister, and the skeleton was reinterred at Leicester Cathedral in 2015.

Why it matters

The skeleton showed scoliosis, a severe curvature of the spine, and wounds likely caused by weapons such as a halberd or sword, along with injuries inflicted after death. This physical evidence lets historians test centuries of Tudor-era descriptions of Richard's body and death against real scientific findings, showing how combining archaeology, genetics and history can correct or confirm old stories.

Look closer

• How does physical evidence like a skeleton differ from written descriptions written years or centuries later?
• Why do you think there was disagreement about where Richard's remains should be reburied?
• What do the wounds on the skeleton suggest about how Richard died and was treated afterward?