Shakespeare got it right. Scoliosis-ridden body found buried under a British parking lot is age-old supposed villain, Richard III. — Click to Tweet.
A few months ago, a body was found during an archaeological dig in Leicester, England.
British scientists noticed the odd curvature of the spine, but weren’t sure what to make of the find. They were digging under an old parking lot, but the area had once been the city’s Greyfriars friary.
But evidence kept adding up. The skeleton, nearly intact except for the feet, bore evidence of trauma to the skull — which is also consistKing Richard 3 Remains Found ent with historical accounts. The back also showed obvious signs of extreme scoliosis.
There was immediate speculation that the body belonged to Richard III, owing to Shakespeare’s references to his twisted spine. But other research had to be done, and eventually some of Richard III’s direct descendants were found.
Mitochondrial DNA
After locating Michael Ibsen, a Canadian cabinet-maker who is a direct descendant of Richard III’s sister, Anne of York and a second distant relative who wished to remain anonymous, scientists did some DNA testing.
Because mitochondrial DNA is passed down the maternal line almost completely unchanged, it’s a useful tool for determining distant ancestry. And now, after months of speculation, it’s been confirmed “beyond reasonable doubt” that the twisted remains do belong to Richard III.
A Second Burial?
Many groups have been arguing over where the remains should go. But after much debate, it was decided that the bones will be buried in Leicester Cathedral, right down the street. It was the closest church to his original grave.
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