I’ve been keeping an eye on the University of Leicester website for their daily updates on the Richard III dig, or the Greyfriars Project, and they have just announced the finding of human remains. A press conference is being held today at 11am UK time with representatives of the University, Leicester City Council and the Richard III Society in attendance.
I’ll post an update here as soon as I hear more details, but you can keep up to date at the Leicester University website or by following them on https://twitter.com/uniofleicester.
I’m not getting too excited because you’d expect them to find human remains at a church, anyway, but you never know…
Details from press release:
“A team from the University of Leicester is today (Wednesday September 12) announcing a dramatic development in the search for King Richard III.
The search, which has entered a third week, has uncovered evidence of human remains – the first time in the search that this is disclosed.
The University of Leicester is leading the archaeological search for the burial place of King Richard III with Leicester City Council, in association with the Richard III Society. Over the past two weeks, the team has made major discoveries about the heritage of Leicester by:
- Determining the site of the site of the medieval Franciscan friary known as Grey Friars
- Finding the eastern cloister walk and chapter house
- Locating the site of the church within the friary
- Uncovering the lost garden of former Mayor of Leicester, Alderman Robert Herrick
- Revealing medieval finds that include inlaid floor tiles from the cloister walk of the friary, paving stones from the Herrick garden, window tracery, elements of the stained glass windows of the church and artefacts including, amongst others, a medieval silver penny and a stone frieze believed to be from the choir stalls
The search team, popularly dubbed the Time Tomb Team, has now excavated the choir of the Grey Friars church – believed to be where King Richard III was buried – and has made some stunning discoveries. The dig is being filmed by Darlow Smithson Productions for a forthcoming Channel 4 documentary to be aired later this year.
Richard Taylor, Director of Corporate Affairs at the University of Leicester and one of the prime movers behind the project, said: “What we have uncovered is truly remarkable and today (Wednesday September 12) we will be announcing
to the world that the search for King Richard III has taken a dramatic new turn.”
Leicester’s City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “This discovery adds a whole new dimension to a search which has already far exceeded our expectations. This is exciting news and I know that people across the world will be waiting to hear
more about the University’s find.”
Philippa Langley from the Richard III Society said: “We came with a dream and if the dream becomes reality it will be nothing short of miraculous.”
A press conference is being held at 11am on Wednesday September 12 at The Guildhall, Guildhall Lane, Leicester LE1 5FQ”
