Carbon Dating the Car Park King

A car park in Leicester may not sound like a fitting burial spot for a monarch, but in 2012, that’s exactly where archaeologists expected to find him. After just six hours of digging, they struck gold (well… bones). Carbon-14 dating suggested the remains were from the late 15th century, but initially appeared a few decades older than Richard III. The clue came from diet. Isotopes in the bones revealed a high-protein, seafood-rich diet, typical of someone living a wealthy, high-status life. This type of diet also affects how carbon-14 accumulates, explaining the apparent age discrepancy. With this in mind, scientists concluded the skeleton was almost certainly Richard III, and DNA from his distant relative, Michael Ibsen, confirmed the final match.