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.
Reviews
Highly recommended. [Mike] Pitts effectively conveys the excitement of the discovery, clearly and vividly describing the process and the personalities. Writing this book must have been the dream of a lifetime for him, and he has risen to the occasion. STARRED REVIEW
— Kirkus Reviews
This remarkable cold-case-file narrative is a must for all English history buffs.
— Library Journal
Pitts recounts the exhilarating dig--in which the lead archaeologist promised to eat his hat if the skeleton actually turned up.
— Scientific American
Illuminates the tangled, bloody wars of 15th-century England and patient excavation work of 21st-century researchers…Informative.
— Christian Science Monitor
An amazing story.
— The Dispatch
It reads like an Indiana Jones adventure, albeit without the obligatory bad guys.
— Portland Book Review
At its liveliest, Pitts' account reads like a police procedural, with clues, false leads, and finally a killing unraveled and a mystery triumphantly solved… As much about the diggers as about who or what they dug up.
— The Dallas Morning News
Contributors
Mike Pitts
Author
Mike Pitts is the author of Digging up Britain, Digging for Richard III, and Hengeworld. He is the editor of British Archaeology magazine and is a trained archaeologist with firsthand experience digging at Stonehenge. He has presented at countless events and talks at Stonehenge.
