King Richard Needs You – Urgent Archaeology Appeal (till July 20th, 2012)

The final 2 days to decide the fate of the archaeological project to find King Richard III !

In search of King Richard’s burrial place and body, an archaeology project is intended to take place in Leicester in August 2012.

A sudden shortfall of funds now necessitates the organiser, Philippa Langley, to fast make up the shortfall, to ensure the safe continuation of the digging project.

We posted more details about the digging in last week’s article and a specially created page about the Search for King Richard.

Pledges can directly be left via the prepared form. (Confirmation and payment details will follow directly from the Archaeological Search for Richard III.

The finding of the burrial place and the safe laying to rest of King Richard III’s remains is not only of a historic and archaeological importance, though it is a unique chance, as the area is planned to be rebuilt and so will be lost for future researches.

From the viewpoint of a contemporary of King Richard III, the endeavour would get further urgency:

In our modern interpretation of life and after-life, the body and its unharmed and complete state is not a  requirement for entering the after-world.
This was interpreted differently in earlier times and  in the late Middle Ages, it was of utmost importance that the body remained intact.

This believe is cause for some crude and brutal ways of death sentences, like beheading and quartering, as they were meant to prevent the felon from getting an after-life. It also determined burrial ceremonies and the traditions to build strong sarcophagi for the nobility, as this was to ascertain the safe keeping of the remains over time.

So a contemporary of King Richard III would see the rebuilding of the supposed burrial place of King Richard III as a threat to King Richard III himself.

Please help to give King Richard III a safe and secure resting place, if his remains are found.

Another historic appeal reached us this week.

It concerns the area from a decisive battle from the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Northampton (1460), where building projects endanger the grounds.

The appeal has a Facebook page, where more details and a link to the petition attempting to prevent these building projects can be found.