The results of scientific tests performed on the Greyfriars remains, thought to be those of King Richard III, will be revealed to the world early next month.
The University of Leicester has today set a date for a press conference which will brief the world on the identity of the skeleton found buried beneath a city council car park in August, last year.
On Monday, Febuary 4, the media will gather at the university to find out whether archaeologists have made one of the biggest discoveries of recent times.
Since August, academics at the university have been carrying out DNA tests, radio carbon-dating, environmental sampling and facial reconstruction to ascertain whether or not the bones are those of the 500-year-old monarch.
The project was instigated by the Richard III Society in association with the university and Leicester City Council.
At a press conference in September, the project team announced that it had found human remains with evidence of what was believed to be scoliosis and battle trauma.
Specialists said that these remains, found at the excavation site in New Street, in the city centre, would need to be subject to rigorous scientific analysis in order to confirm their identity.
Richard Taylor, director of corporate affairs at the university, said: "The University of Leicester is poised to unlock a 500-year-old mystery by announcing the outcome of our search for King Richard III.
"The search has caught the world's imagination and has featured in media across the globe and has been the focus of intense speculation.
"Over the past five months, since we announced the discovery, our experts from a range of departments have subjected the human remains found at Grey Friars to rigorous examination.
"Key tests are due in over the next few weeks."
The University of Leicester has today set a date for a press conference which will brief the world on the identity of the skeleton found buried beneath a city council car park in August, last year.
On Monday, Febuary 4, the media will gather at the university to find out whether archaeologists have made one of the biggest discoveries of recent times.
Since August, academics at the university have been carrying out DNA tests, radio carbon-dating, environmental sampling and facial reconstruction to ascertain whether or not the bones are those of the 500-year-old monarch.
The project was instigated by the Richard III Society in association with the university and Leicester City Council.
At a press conference in September, the project team announced that it had found human remains with evidence of what was believed to be scoliosis and battle trauma.
Specialists said that these remains, found at the excavation site in New Street, in the city centre, would need to be subject to rigorous scientific analysis in order to confirm their identity.
Richard Taylor, director of corporate affairs at the university, said: "The University of Leicester is poised to unlock a 500-year-old mystery by announcing the outcome of our search for King Richard III.
"The search has caught the world's imagination and has featured in media across the globe and has been the focus of intense speculation.
"Over the past five months, since we announced the discovery, our experts from a range of departments have subjected the human remains found at Grey Friars to rigorous examination.
"Key tests are due in over the next few weeks."
