Folger Shakespeare Library to Host 'FINDING RICHARD' Talk, 2/5

Following the amazing discovery of The Remains of King Richard III, Folger Shakespeare Library will present a special lecture featuring geneticist Turi King and fieldwork director Mathew Morris, both part of the Greyfriars Project that discovered Richard's body. King and Morris will shed light on the archaeological dig and subsequent verification by DNA research on Wednesday, February 5 at 7:30pm. Buried for centuries, Richard's body was discovered in September 2012 beneath a parking lot in Leicester, England.

The evening is presented with support from The British Council and in association with Saint Louis University. Tickets are $25 and $20 for Folger members. A reception will follow. The lecture accompanies Folger Theatre's production of Richard III, which runs from January 28 - March 9, 2014.

Turi King, lecturer at the University of Leicester and lead geneticist for the Greyfriars Project, compared mitochondrial DNA extracted from Richard's skeleton with that from two descendants of Richard's sister, Anne of York, proving the bones did indeed belong to Richard.

Mathew Morris, fieldwork director for the Greyfriars Project, is one of the archaeologists who discovered the skeletal remains of Richard III. An expert in urban archaeology, Morris has participated in major excavations in Leicester and across the East Midlands.