Medieval burial site unearthed at Clare Castle

Human remains have been found during an archaeological dig in Clare Castle Country Park, revealing the location of a Christian burial site previously unknown to historians.

Image of the graves in Trench B, with the foot bones of the northerly inhumation visible in the section of the right-hand grave [Credit: Access Cambridge Archaeology]

The three sets of remains were found during a nine-day dig led by a team of ten archaeologists from Access Cambridge Archaeology (ACA).

The dig, which saw four trenches excavated at different locations within the grounds of Clare Castle, was part of the Managing a Masterpiece project, which aims to find out more about the history of the Stour Valley landscape and discover how traditional land management has shaped it.

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ARCHAEOLOGISTS FIND UNDERGROUND MEDIEVAL REFUGE

In advance of the creation of an artisan centre in the federated districts of Bléré-Val-de-Cher, central France, archaeologists have been excavating Neolithic, Antique and Medieval remains. Among the Medieval remains, a well preserved underground refuge chamber was discovered, representing a rare archaeological find.

Refuge of a local elite?

The entrance to the underground refuge was hidden under the floor of a small building on stilts.

The discovery of a ceramic cooking pot in the infill of the underground chamber allows it to be dated to the end of the 11th century. At this time, the Counts of Anjou and Blois were quarrelling over the possession of the Touraine region, where there was a large network of military installations.

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Living relatives of Mary Rose crew may be identified through DNA

Human remains found on board the Mary Rose are starting to reveal their secrets after nearly 500 years on the sea bed.

They spent nearly 500 years in a watery grave with no record of who they were, but now the crew of the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s ill fated flagship, could finally be identified.

Scientists have begun work to extract DNA from the bones that were found on board the Tudor warship when it was raised from the bottom of The Solent 30 years ago.

They hope to use the genetic information to identify the men who perished on the vessel when it sank and perhaps even trace their living relatives.

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VIDEO: The search for Richard III – Richard Buckley at CA Live! 2013

Richard Buckley takes CA conference attendees through the discovery of Richard III’s remains. Image: Aerial-Cam

In September 2012, archaeologists from the University of Leicester announced a significant development in their search for the remains of Richard III, England’s last Medieval monarch: the discovery of human remains thought to be those of the lost king, beneath a carpark in the city centre. Five months later, following an exhaustive battery of scientific tests, the team were able to confirm that these were indeed the bones of the ill-fated Plantaganet.

At our annual conference, Current ArchaeologyLive! 2013,  ULAS’ Richard Buckley, lead archaeologist on the Greyfriars Project, shared the full story of this astonishing piece of archaeological detective work with over 400 rapt attendees. For those who were unable to make it to the conference, however, Richard has kindly agreed to let us make his talk available on our website. Enjoy!

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Richard III replica head to go on show in York

Lifesize reconstruction made from detailed scans of skull found in Leicester car park will be Yorkshire Museum's centrepiece

Richard III (1452-1485) had close connections to York and Yorkshire, having spent much of his youth living at Middleham Castle. Photograph: Richard III Society

"King Richard, late mercifully reigning over us, was through great treason … piteously slain and murdered, to the great heaviness of this city," reported the mayor of York's serjeant of the mace a day after Richard III's death at the Battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485.

More than 500 years later however, the last Yorkist king and a monarch with strong connections to York and Yorkshire, is returning to the city. Not Richard exactly, but a replica head made from detailed scans of Richard's scull, which was found in a Leicester car park last year.

The disconcertingly lifelike replica will take pride of place in a new display at the Yorkshire Museum looking at what is really known about the long-lost-then-found monarch. It is part of York's city wide programme of events marking the importance of Richard III to the city.

The head will be on show from 19 July until October.

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Carbon test hopes for 'Battle of Lewes casualty'

The skull has sword wounds and a large number of blows to the head

Tests are under way on a skeleton found in an East Sussex town to find out if it is a victim of the 1264 Battle of Lewes.

Lewes is gearing up for celebrations next year to mark the 750th anniversary of the battle between the armies of King Henry III and Simon de Montfort.

York University experts are testing bones thought to be those of a soldier.

Sussex Archaeological Society said the skeleton could take centre stage in next year's anniversary celebrations.

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Ancient bones under Lewes school may be warrior

Monks from Lewes Priory may have treated the medieval warrior

Mysterious bones found under a school could belong to a medieval warrior who died in battle.

Archaeologists believe the skeleton could belong to a soldier who fell during the Battle of Lewes in 1264.

Now the ancient remains have been sent to experts at the University of York who will attempt to solve the puzzle.

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