Bring me the head of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn was originally buried in an elm arrow chest within the Chapel of St. Peter-ad-Vincula, a chapel within the confines of the Tower of London at the north-end of Tower Green. In the same chapel were buried (amongst other her brother George Boleyn, Katherine Howard and Jane Grey).
I In the middle of the 19th century, the entire Tower was "restored," including the chapel of St. Peter's ad Vincula, Many of the bones buried beneath the chapel floor, including those of Anne and Geore Boleyn, Catherine Howard , and Jane Grey, were exhumed and moved.
A medical examiner Dr. Mouat. described the one skeleton (recovered on 19th May 1876), which was recovered from an old elm-chest containing as having a "delicate frame with a small neck". Doyne C Bell’s “Notices of the Historic Persons Buried in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London”, 1876. It is worth pointing out that many of the supposed identifications carried out in the mid 19th century were based on only the most rudimentary of forensic techniques and many have since been disproven. False identifications include a set of bones once thought to be one of the Princes in the Tower (Edward V or his brother Richard) but later shown to be ape bones from the royal menagerie that was once housed in the Tower.
So much alteration has been done over the centuries that the bones of the various persons buried in the chapel are now scattered and unidentifiable. Anne Boleyn's bones are certainly among them, but there is no way to identify which are hers and where exactly they lie. (source )
The Chapel is a royal peculiar, like (Westminster Abbey, St George's Chapel at Windsor). None of the bones buried there can be disinterred without the express permission of the monarch. However, reclamation work following the failure of the Thames barrier in 2012 (which led to cancellation of the Olympic games) and the flooding of Tower Green resulted in a decision by Cameron's tory government to move the Royal burials to a safer place. The descendants of the Boleyn family have requested that the remains of Anne and George be returned to be buried with her father (Thomas Boleyn) at the family home, Hever Castle . King William III has agreed to this request.
I In the middle of the 19th century, the entire Tower was "restored," including the chapel of St. Peter's ad Vincula, Many of the bones buried beneath the chapel floor, including those of Anne and Geore Boleyn, Catherine Howard , and Jane Grey, were exhumed and moved.
A medical examiner Dr. Mouat. described the one skeleton (recovered on 19th May 1876), which was recovered from an old elm-chest containing as having a "delicate frame with a small neck". Doyne C Bell’s “Notices of the Historic Persons Buried in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London”, 1876. It is worth pointing out that many of the supposed identifications carried out in the mid 19th century were based on only the most rudimentary of forensic techniques and many have since been disproven. False identifications include a set of bones once thought to be one of the Princes in the Tower (Edward V or his brother Richard) but later shown to be ape bones from the royal menagerie that was once housed in the Tower.
So much alteration has been done over the centuries that the bones of the various persons buried in the chapel are now scattered and unidentifiable. Anne Boleyn's bones are certainly among them, but there is no way to identify which are hers and where exactly they lie. (source )
The Chapel is a royal peculiar, like (Westminster Abbey, St George's Chapel at Windsor). None of the bones buried there can be disinterred without the express permission of the monarch. However, reclamation work following the failure of the Thames barrier in 2012 (which led to cancellation of the Olympic games) and the flooding of Tower Green resulted in a decision by Cameron's tory government to move the Royal burials to a safer place. The descendants of the Boleyn family have requested that the remains of Anne and George be returned to be buried with her father (Thomas Boleyn) at the family home, Hever Castle . King William III has agreed to this request.
Your assignment
Working in three teams it is your task to correctly identify the remains of George and Anne, who are believed to have been recovered from the flood damage chapel floor.
Your team has been sent four skulls including mandibles, and a range of bone fragments associated with this material. King William V and Queen Kate has agreed to fund the analysis but due to recent austerity measures, following the collapse of the pound, the is limited to a total €6,000for the Scientific Analysis.
You can use a range of scientific approaches to identify them, and you can ask three English Heritage Science Advisors their opinion on the value of each method to your research question.
You will have a total of 15 minutes with each advisor and then will decide amongst you how to spend your €6,000.
Your team has been sent four skulls including mandibles, and a range of bone fragments associated with this material. King William V and Queen Kate has agreed to fund the analysis but due to recent austerity measures, following the collapse of the pound, the is limited to a total €6,000for the Scientific Analysis.
You can use a range of scientific approaches to identify them, and you can ask three English Heritage Science Advisors their opinion on the value of each method to your research question.
You will have a total of 15 minutes with each advisor and then will decide amongst you how to spend your €6,000.
The science advisors:
Dr Oliver Craig
Specializes in radiogenic and stable isotope analysis of collagen and bone mineral. See useful information on isotope resources
Costs of analyses
ō13C bone collagen (requires 0.1 mg of bone) - €50
ō 15N bone collagen (requires 0.1 mg of bone) - €50
ō 13C dentine / bone / enamel carbonate (requires 0.1 mg of bone) - €70
ō 18O dentine / bone / enamel carbonate (requires 0.1 mg of bone) - €100
ō 18O dentine / bone / enamel phosphate (requires 0.1 mg of bone) - €150
87/86Sr dentine / bone / enamel strontium (requires 0.5 mg of bone) - €300
14C bone mineral carbon (requires 0.02 mg of bone) - €400
14C bone collagen carbon (requires 0.1 mg of bone) - €400
ō 15N bone collagen (requires 0.1 mg of bone) - €50
ō 13C dentine / bone / enamel carbonate (requires 0.1 mg of bone) - €70
ō 18O dentine / bone / enamel carbonate (requires 0.1 mg of bone) - €100
ō 18O dentine / bone / enamel phosphate (requires 0.1 mg of bone) - €150
87/86Sr dentine / bone / enamel strontium (requires 0.5 mg of bone) - €300
14C bone mineral carbon (requires 0.02 mg of bone) - €400
14C bone collagen carbon (requires 0.1 mg of bone) - €400
Prof. Matthew Collins
Specialises in ancient DNA and ancient protein analysis
Costs of analyses
Costs of analyses
ZooMS identification of bone chip (peptide mass fingerprinting) (requires 1mg of bone / dentine) - €5
collagen sequencing (requires 10 mg of bone) - €500
DNA sexing (requires 100 mg of bone) - €200
mtDNA D-loop (requires 100 mg of bone) - €300
nDNA Y chromosome (requires 1g of bone) - €300
racemization based age at death analysis (requires tooth enamel soaking, - €300) new unproven method
collagen sequencing (requires 10 mg of bone) - €500
DNA sexing (requires 100 mg of bone) - €200
mtDNA D-loop (requires 100 mg of bone) - €300
nDNA Y chromosome (requires 1g of bone) - €300
racemization based age at death analysis (requires tooth enamel soaking, - €300) new unproven method
Dr Malin Holst
Specialises in osteological identification of bone
Costs of analyses
Osteological sexing (half a day @ €600 per day)
Osteological age at death estimate (half a day @ €600 per day)
Analyses of trauma (half day @ €600 per day)
Pathological examination (half day @ €600 per day)
Osteological age at death estimate (half a day @ €600 per day)
Analyses of trauma (half day @ €600 per day)
Pathological examination (half day @ €600 per day)
