Science Newsletter #15 - Bournemouth School for Girls

TheKingin theCar ParkThe 4th February, 2013 was a historic momentfor medievalists and Ricardians everywhere,with the amazing announcement that thebones found under a Leicester car park were theremains of the infamous Richard III, our mostenigmatic king. Dom reports.Now, youre proaly wondering wat an arclelie tis is doing in a science newsleer And itstrue, science and istory can somemes seem toe two opposite enes But occasionally, te twocome togeter, as tey ave in te case o Ricardsince te seleton was ound, in a marvelloussymiosis to give us te trut For ot scienstsand istorians Being a Ricardian mysel mainlydue to *coug* s Aiten *coug*) I ound tisvery excing news e discovery o is ody couldelp to comat udor propaganda tat slanderedis reputaon, elping us nd out aout te realRicard IIIJust to give you a it o acground, Ricard ecame ing in 1483 aer te deat o is roter,Edward e nature o is ascension was suspicious to te supersous people o te me, ande was elieved to ave illed two princes in tetower o ondon As is reign connued, esowed imsel to e a ust ing, owever e wassomewat naïve and made mistaes His elovedwie died in 148, ollowed closely y teir son,leading to rumours tat Ricard ad murderedtem He was an excellent soldier and adept militarycommander, elping is roter out o gt sirmises as early as wen e was 18 years old He was deeated y Henry udors Frenc army at te ale oBoswort, not due to Henrys sill e ad asolutelynone!) ut ecause o te treacery o te tanleysand is mistaes on te aleeld, among oter actorsWat appened aer te ale to Ricards ody wasunsure unl now egend says tat it was dumped ina river, so past searces or te ody were donedownriver rom te ale site ere were somesources, owever, tat said e was uried in Greyriars curc, in eicester igging tere revealed a seleton But tere was no way to prove tat tis seletonwas Ricard and tis is were science comes in!e rst me tey unearted te seleton, tey noced te severe curvature o te spine see aovepotograp) ome istorical sources tell us tat Ricard ad eiter a uncac or one soulder igertan te oter e act tat te seleton as‘scoliosis, as we would call it today, would seem tomatc te istorical descripons, sowing ow science can elp give istory concrete proo However,