Checkmate: Comparing the skeletal evidence of the death of King Richard III with other medieval weapon trauma (A paper presented at the INRAP International symposium "The archaeology of violence: wartime violence, mass violence" 2th, 3th and 4th of October 2014 - Louvre Lens Museum (original) (raw)

This paper compares the skeletal evidence of weapon trauma found on the remains of King Richard III with other medieval combatants from the Battle of Towton and other conflicts. Through an analysis of the types and forms of wounds, it explores the distinct weapons that could have caused them, including indications of a halberd and sword, emphasizing the contextual similarities despite Richard's status as a king with advanced armor. The findings suggest that even a king could suffer mortal wounds in a manner similar to other medieval battle victims.