Digging for Richard III: The Search for the Lost King
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
The story of the archaeology behind the dig that found Richard III, told through a fascinating array of photographs, diagrams, and firsthand accounts
In August 2012 a search began and on February 4, 2013 a team from Leicester University delivered its verdict to a mesmerized press room, watched by media studios around the world: they had found the remains of Richard III, whose history is perhaps the most contested of all British monarchs.
History offers a narrow range of information about Richard III which mostly has already been worked to destruction. Archaeology creates new data, new stories, with a different kind of material: physical remains from which modern science can wrest a surprising amount, and which provide a direct, tangible connection with the past. Unlike history, archaeological research demands that teams of people with varied backgrounds work together. Archaeology is a communal activity, in which the interaction of personalities as well as professional skills can change the course of research. Photographs from the author’s own archives, alongside additional material from Leicester University, offer a compelling detective story as the evidence is uncovered.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Though we know how the story ends, British Archaeology editor Pitts's step-by-step account of the improbable discovery of the skeleton of the last Plantagenet king of England, Richard III, is as gripping as any detective fiction. Richard died at the battle of Bosworth in 1485 and was vilified by Tudor writers Thomas More and William Shakespeare in the 16th century. Still, he had his fervent supporters over the years, Philippa Langley among them. After much research, she came to believe that Richard was buried at the site of Greyfriars friary now a parking lot in Leicester and spearheaded the campaign for excavation. Pitts introduces the major players, each of whom worked toward their own ends. Archaeologist Richard Buckley and his colleagues had little interest in a dead king but had long wanted to dig up Greyfriars. British Channel 4 was excited about a potential high-concept show. The Leicester city council saw the potential for a tourist bonanza. Only Langley believed that Richard would be found. On the dig's first day, the remains of a man with a twisted spine were uncovered, spawning a media circus. Pitts's book is proof that one doesn't need to be fascinated with Richard III to be enthralled by the story of his body's discovery.
