Computer Shopper - UK (2021-01)

|COMPUTER SHOPPE

RICHARDIII

ISSUE395|COMPUTER SHOPPER|JANUARY2021 85

Thephrase ‘carbon dating’ is often bandied around, as it was

in the media coverage of the search forRichard III. Here we

look at how it works and what it revealed in this case.

As we’re made up of organic matter,our bodies contain

lots fcarbon. About 99% of all carbon has an atomic weight

of 12 and is referred to as carbon-12, but 1% is carbon-13.

Both isotopes are stable but there are also trace elements of

carbon-14, which is radioactive and decays with ahalf-lifeof

5,730 years. Living organisms constantly replenish their

carbon, so the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 and carbon-13

remains constant. When the organism dies, this replenishment

stops and the ratio of carbon-14 to the other isotopes of

carbon reduces by radioactive decay. By measuring this ratio,

we can estimatehow long ago an organism died.

Even allowing forthe fact that the density of cosmic rays

reaching the Earth –and hence the ratio of carbon-14 to stable

isotopes in the atmosphere –has varied over time,carbon-

dating isn’t an exact science.However,the preliminary results

forthe Greyfriars skeleton, from laboratories at Oxford and

Glasgow Universities, indicated dates of 1412 to 1449 and 1430

to 1460, in each case with a95% confidence.This didn’t look

toopromising foraking who had died in 1485.

This wasn’t an end of the story,though. Carbon dating of

marine organisms gives markedly different results from those

of terrestrial organisms because carbon in the atmosphere is

less able to react with them. This also affects land-based

organisms that have aseafood diet. Mass spectrometry

analysis of the bones showed that the individual had enjoyed

ahigh-protein diet that included asignificantamount of

seafood. When this was taken intoaccount, researchers

revised the dateto1475-1530 with 68% confidence.

This was by no meansaclincher but at least it didn’t disprove

that the bones could have been those of Richard III.

CARBON DATING

positions dictatethe position and size of the eyes.”When the
shape of the skull was finished, the shoulders were modelled
using the fact that the skeleton showed signs of severe scoliosis
(curvature of the spine) and that one shoulder would have been
higher than the other.Professor Wilkinson was at pains to point
out that the work was carried out before the DNA analysis was
completesonoassumption was made regarding the identity of
the skull. In other words, it relied solely on anatomical guidelines
rather than historical portraits of Richard III, and all the decisions
made could be justified scientifically.
Alife-size version of the finished model was created using 3D
printing, although it had no eyes, hair or clothing. This is where
Janice Aitken, alecturer at Duncan of
Jordanstone College of Art &Design, took
over.“My part in the process was purely
interpretive rather than scientific,”she
says.“Guided by Professor Wilkinson’s
expertise,Idrew on my experience in
portrait painting, using acombination of
historical and contemporary references to
createafinished surface texture.” This
time theyusedcontemporary portraits of
Richard III forguidance in painting and
texturing the model and foradding awig,
headdress and prosthetic eyes. As
Professor Wilkinson explains, this was a
sensible approach as it ensured that
the result would be representative of
someone from the late15th century who
lived in this geographical area.
Although the basic reconstruction
wasn’t influenced by historic portraits of
Richard III, consensus is that the similarity

is more than superficial even though, as supporters of the

maligned king point out, the reconstructed face isn’t nearly as

mean looking as we’re used to seeing. It’s well known that the

winners of any conflict writethe history books, but in this

instance it looks as if Richard III’s followersmay have had

the last word after all.

THE ROADAHEAD

The discovery and positive identification of Richard III maynow

be in the past, but in many ways this is just astart formembers

of the Richard III Society.Asself-confessed ‘Ricardians’,manyof

the society members are supporters of the king who aim to clear

his name and put right the injustice they

claim was done to him. We probably haven’t

heard the last of Richard III.

Meanwhile,archaeologists at Winchester

University have embarked on the search for

an even older king, Alfred the Great. In this

case theyknowexactly where to look –inan

unmarked grave at St.Bartholomew’s Church

in Winchester –but that doesn’t mean the

quest will be any less challenging. Scientists

involved in the search forRichard III knew

that, as DNA breaks down over time,itwas

by no means certain that they’d be able to

retrieve sufficient ancient DNA from the

Greyfriars skeleton to make apositive

identification. However,King Alfred of

Wessex died in AD 899,afull586 years

earlier than Richard III. Coming to adefinitive

conclusion about any remains that might be

found in Winchester would surely test our

technology to the absolutelimit.

⬆Carbon dating proved that the remains dated back to the time of

Richard III, but diet-related factors had to be taken intoaccount

Re

pr

od

uc

ed

wi

th

kin

dp

erm

iss

ion

of

Un

ive

rsi

ty

of

Gla

sg

ow

/S

UE

RC

The face of Richard III is seen forthe first

time in 528 years, thanks to micro-CT

scanning and facial reconstruction