TNI Bureau: In a significant discovery, scientists confirmed a 500-year old skeleton, which was found under a car park in the English city of Leicester, was of England’s King Richard III. The photos of the remains of the King were made available by the University of Leicester on Monday.
The scientists finally ended the 500-year-old historical mystery with the revelation that the England King had severe scoliosis, or twisting of the spine. It may have been painful and caused his right shoulder to appear higher than his left, but there was no evidence of the withered arm depicted in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”, the research team said on Monday.
The hunt for his skeleton began in 2012 when archaeologists working on historical accounts. They found the skeleton while digging beneath the car parking area in Leicester. Lead Archaeologist Richard Buckley confirmed the discovery of King Richard III during a news conference in Leicester.
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According to Jo Appleby, the project’s lead osteologist, the skeleton had two significant wounds to the skull, likely caused by a sword and a halberd, a type of axe, one of which killed him. There was also evidence of “humiliation injuries” to the face and buttocks, which may well have been inflicted on his naked body by rivals after his death.
The scientists revealed that the King died at the age of 32. He was healthy and had a slender, almost feminine build, which matched contemporary accounts. The kind of killing at times resembled crime drama on TV.
Finally, the scientists confirmed that the remains belonged to King Richard III. The history said that the monarch’s body was transported naked on the back of a horse to Leicester before being buried in an unmarked grave at Greyfriars.
Legendary English Novelist William Shakespeare had depicted Richard as a monstrous tyrant who murdered two princes in the Tower of London and was killed in a fight with his ultimate successor Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field in central England in 1485.