Upcoming Richard III documentary

Upcoming Richard III documentary

From Channel 4:

With the support of historians, the University of Leicester's archaeologists identified a possible location of the monastery as the car park for Leicester City Council's Social Services department. However as Richard Buckley, Head of the University of Leicester's Archaeology Services tells the programme: "...the chance of finding Richard was, I don't know, a million to one." Yet the dig commenced and on the very first day a male skeleton was discovered - which careful examination would later reveal to have curvature of the spine and battle injuries including a head wound.

For the last three months, the remains has been subjected to some of the most cutting edge technology and forensic testing in existence - with Channel 4 capturing every moment. In specialist labs in Leicester and across the country, the bones have been subjected to CT scans, they have been carbon-dated, DNA has been extracted to be compared to that of one his living descendants, the source of the spinal curvature has been investigated - and the entire body has been subjected to rigorous testing to reveal blow-by-blow how this individual died and how he was buried.

Perhaps most fascinating of all, using technology developed to identify human remains in crime investigations, scientists have been busily re-creating the face these bones belong to - this image will be revealed exclusively in the programme the night it airs. And of course, Richard III: The King in the Car Park will reveal the results of what could be one of the most astonishing archaeological discoveries in recent history - whether England's missing king has indeed been recovered.

This will air on Feb 4.