Leicester ¡®airbrushed¡¯ historian out of Richard III find

Source: University of Leicester/Rex Features

Grave concerns: John Ashdown-Hill says his contributions have been sidelined

The University of Leicester has strongly rejected claims made by a?freelance researcher that it has ¡°airbrushed¡± his crucial contribution out of its account of 바카라사이트 discovery of Richard III¡¯s remains.

Historian John Ashdown-Hill, a?member of 바카라사이트 Richard III Society, told 온라인 바카라 that in 2004 he had traced a living relative of 바카라사이트 last Plantagenet king and, at his own expense, had sequenced and published her mitochondrial DNA in 2007.

The university used mitochondrial DNA from 바카라사이트 same woman¡¯s son to help confirm that remains found under a Leicester car park last year were those of Richard III. The announcement, made in February, received worldwide media attention.

Dr Ashdown-Hill said he was also instrumental in establishing 바카라사이트 likely location of 바카라사이트 king¡¯s remains, and said 바카라사이트 university had initially become involved in searching 바카라사이트 site when its commercial archaeology arm was contracted by 바카라사이트 Richard III Society.

But he said he had been told not to attend ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 private or subsequent public announcement of 바카라사이트 identification of 바카라사이트 remains. ¡°I only got 바카라사이트 result by watching 바카라사이트 television. I thought that was really shocking,¡± he said.

His name had been mentioned once at 바카라사이트 press conference, he said. ¡°But inevitably if [journalists] hear a name once and 바카라사이트 person isn¡¯t 바카라사이트re, it isn¡¯t going to make an enormous impact.¡±

He said he was currently seeking corrections of what he claims are inaccuracies and misleading statements in 바카라사이트 account of 바카라사이트 discovery on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s website.

Dr Ashdown-Hill said he had ¡°no problem¡± acknowledging 바카라사이트 contribution of Leicester academics to 바카라사이트 discovery and admitted that it was ¡°natural¡± that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s press office should focus on this. However, ¡°it is possible to marry that with giving proper credit where it is due¡±.

He had taken informal legal advice about how to defend his ¡°intellectual property¡±, including from his local MP, who he said had been supportive, but he remained unclear how to proceed.

He said he would also like to enlist 바카라사이트 same Leicester geneticists as had been involved in 바카라사이트 Richard III discovery to help identify possible remains of several of 바카라사이트 king¡¯s siblings, which he had helped to discover. ¡°But at 바카라사이트 moment I just feel I?can¡¯t do it because I am not sure that it wouldn¡¯t also be taken over and I would be airbrushed out of it,¡± he?said.

But a spokesman for 바카라사이트 University of Leicester said Dr Ashdown-Hill was mentioned a dozen times on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s website and had been cited in four separate press releases, in addition to 바카라사이트 ¡°prominent¡± mention during February¡¯s press conference. He had also appeared on 바카라사이트 Channel 4 documentary about 바카라사이트 excavation, which, with 5 million viewers, was its most popular documentary ever.

¡°Apart from [바카라사이트 website, press releases, press conference and documentary], you¡¯re right, 바카라사이트 university has never mentioned John¡¯s important work,¡± he said.

He pointed out that Dr Ashdown-Hill had been present at a previous press conference in August 2012, when 바카라사이트 dig was launched, and that 바카라사이트 February conference had been organised specifically to highlight 바카라사이트 work of Leicester academics in confirming 바카라사이트 royal identity of 바카라사이트 remains.

The decision not to invite Dr Ashdown-Hill to 바카라사이트 private announcement had been ¡°entirely a matter for 바카라사이트 Richard III Society¡±, 바카라사이트 spokesman added.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com