Academics have revealed further details of Richard III's hasty and unceremonious burial.
Archaeologists from the University of Leicester have published a paper about the grave in which the Plantagenet king was buried.
The monarch's remains were found last year under a council car park off Peacock Lane.
The dig team's findings have been set out in a paper in the journal Antiquity, available from today.
Greyfriars site director Mathew Morris said: "The paper gives more detail about what we found.
"It is an academic paper but we hope it will be something anyone interested in the project will enjoy reading.
"This was the chance for academic colleagues to look at what we have said and come back with any comments or criticisms. Rather gratifyingly, they didn't say very much.
"Everything about the burial suggests haste, which could be interpreted as minimal reverence."
He said Richard was casually placed in a badly-prepared lozenge-shaped grave, suggesting gravediggers were in a hurry.
He was crammed into the grave, which was too short at the bottom to receive the body in the normal way.
The academics also concluded there was evidence to suggest Richard's hands may have been tied when he was buried.
His head was propped up against one corner of the grave, suggesting the gravediggers had made no attempt to rearrange the body once it had been lowered in.
Archaeologists said this was in stark contrast to other medieval graves in the town, which were the correct length and dug neatly.
The evidence, they said, pointed to the gravediggers showing the king a lack of respect.
This is in keeping with accounts from the historian Polydore Vergil, who said Richard was buried "without any pomp or solemn funeral".
The paper was written by key members of the search team, including lead archaeologist Richard Buckley.
It includes contributions from bone expert Dr Jo Appleby, geneticist Dr Turi King, medieval friary expert Deirdre O'Sullivan and Professor Lin Foxhall, head of the university's School of Archaeology and Ancient History.
They wrote: "The paper highlights the fact this was a public archaeology project initiated by Philippa Langley, of the Richard III Society, and executed by a team of archaeologists and other specialists from the University of Leicester.
"At this stage we have discovered enough of the plan of the Grey Friars precinct to feel confident we have identified parts of the eastern range, the chapter house and the eastern end of the church, including the transition between the choir and the presbytery.
"This means the hastily-constructed grave in trench one is certainly in the place indicated by the 15th and 16th century written sources as the tomb of King Richard III."
Professor Chris Scarre, editor of Antiquity, said: "This discovery has been a focus of major public interest and debate and we are delighted to publish the details of the excavation that have helped lead the team to their conclusion."
Due to the worldwide interest in the discovery of Richard III, the University of Leicester has arranged for the paper to be available on the internet.
Read the paper in full at:
http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/087/ ant0870519.htm
