Archaeologists at the University of Leicester have created an interactive 3D model of King Richard III’s famous grave underneath a city centre car park, discovered in 2012.
Richard III’s reburial in Leicester Cathedral last March was the end of a long journey for the 15th Century monarch. Killed in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, he was buried without pomp at Greyfriars – a friary that was subsequently dissolved and demolished.
Here he rested, underground and forgotten, until 2012, when his remains were discovered beneath a Leicester car park. Now, you can explore the grave for yourself by clicking here.
This 3D reconstruction was created using sophisticated photogrammetry software, which made use of photographs taken during the dig.
“During the excavation in 2012 we took photographs of the skeleton from multiple angles to create a lasting record of how the king’s bones were positioned in the grave before we exhumed them,” says Mathew Morris – the man who first discovered the king’s remains. “These photos were not taken with photogrammetry in mind, but the software is incredibly versatile and can be applied retrospectively to create this superb model.”
Explore King Richard III’s grave on Sketchfab here.
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Authors
James is staff writer at BBC Science Focus magazine. He especially enjoys writing about wellbeing and psychology.
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