King Richard III’s Face: Reconstruction Gives Us First Look In 500 Years

King Richard III’s face has been reconstructed by scientists and revealed to the world for the first time in 500 years.

Some brief history: A skull was unearthed last year from under a parking lot in Leicester, England. After running the remains through a battery of scientific tests, the University of Leicester determined Monday that the bones belonged to Richard III, who died in battle in 1485.

NBC News Science Editor Alan Boyle detailed the process, explaining that DNA extracted from the bone samples were compared with modern-day mitochondrial DNA from two direct descendants of Richard III’s family. One of them was Michael Ibsen, a Canadian-born cabinetmaker who is a 17th-generation descendant of Anne of York, Richard III’s oldest sister.

Archaeologist Jo Appleby said that the injuries to the bones were consistent with historical accounts of King Richard III’s death. These included “postmortem humiliation injuries.”

“Historical sources tell us that Richard’s body was stripped,” mutilated, and publicly displayed, said Appleby.

King Richard III’s remains are set to be properly buried in Leicester Cathedral, said authorities.

On February 5, 2013, the Richard III Society unveiled a facial reconstruction based on the skull of the fallen king in London. At the unveiling was Michael Ibsen, the above-mentioned descendant of King Richard III, who posed for pictures with the plastic model of his ancestor’s face.

Here’s a video report on the discover of King Richard III’s remains from NBC Nightly News:

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