Unearthing a King: Forensics Professor Helps Identify Bones of Richard III

King Richard III only ruled England for two years – 1483 to 1485 – but he's given historians plenty to talk about – especially lately.

Richard was the last English king to die in battle, and for more than 500 years historians believed his final resting place was lost. But in 2012, archaeologists discovered his grave underneath a parking lot in the city Leicester in central England. The remains were identified using DNA, but researchers still wanted to know more about the king's death. Since he died in battle, they called in Professor Sarah Hainsworth, a forensics professor at Leicester University. She specializes in stabbing and dismemberment and normally works on more modern murder cases studying what bones can tell us about how someone died.

She's sharing her experience working on the King Richard III Project April 21 at an event of the Archaeological Institute of America-Houston Society, and she tells Michael Hagerty about the experience and how the remains were lost in the first place.

MORE:
The Discovery of Richard III
Make No Bones About It: Interview with Prof. Sarah Hainsworth on Identifying Richard III
Videos from the archaeological dig, from Leicester University: