Program Overview

England in the time of King Richard III MOOC

Course Description

This free online course takes you on a journey through 15th century England, taking in archaeology, history and literature. You will learn about the Wars of the Roses, read medieval texts, investigate the livelihoods of medieval farmers and peasants, and discover all you need to know about the discovery and reinterment of King Richard III in Leicester.

Entry Requirements

There are no entry requirements for the current range of MOOCs available from the University of Leicester. You simply need an internet connection and a computer or tablet device. Some other courses may specify expected levels of understanding or experience in certain areas but this will be made clear before signing up for the course.

English Language Requirements

There are no specific English language requirements for our MOOCs. However, to get the most out of this course you should have a reasonable command of written English.

Fees and Funding

Enjoy this course for free - there are no fees for any of our MOOCs.

Careers and Employability

If this is a subject that fascinates you, why not consider some of our courses in Archaeology or History?

Undergraduate

• Archaeology BA
• Ancient History and Archaeology BA
• History and Archaeology BA
• Ancient History and History BA
• History BA
• Contemporary History BA
• English and History BA

Postgraduate

• History MA
• History MRes
• Local History and Family History MA
• Urban Conservation MA
• Urban History MA

Distance Learning

• Archaeology BA
• Ancient History and Classical Archaeology BA
• Archaeology and Heritage MA
• The Classical Mediterranean MA

Course Structure

Week 1

In the first week we will look at the political scene in the 15th century and how it was dominated by savage dynastic fighting – the Wars of the Roses - in which allegiances and power shifted among an aristocratic coterie, with devastating outcomes. The first module of the course addresses medieval warfare, dynastic conflict, and the ways in which this conflict is interpreted and presented today through re-enactments and at historic battlefields.

Week 2

In the second week we focus on the lives and changing prospects of ordinary folk. The 15th century also saw the abandonment of many villages through general population decline, and a shift towards greater use of the land for pasture farming. But demand for labour meant that the prosperity of working people rose. Peasants and farmers made up the majority of the population, and they became increasingly prosperous in the aftermath of the Black Death - while the fortunes of townspeople fluctuated from place to place.

Week 3

In week three we turn to the most dramatic technological innovation of the modern world - printing. The 15th century is a pivotal moment in writing, publishing and literacy: at the beginning of the century, handwritten parchment manuscripts were the primary form of literature - few in number and well beyond the means or access of peasants and farmer. By the end, however, England had paper mills and printing presses. The beginnings of modern mass literature, including a standardisation of written English, had begun.

Week 4

Attitudes to life, death and the afterlife form the focus of the fourth week. Central to medieval religious understanding was a belief in purgatory, a place where the sinful could atone for misdeeds in life. A great deal of energy and resources were devoted to prayers for the dead, which formed a regular part of the devotions of rich and poor alike. We will investigate some of the books, monuments and other objects which were used for devotional purposes, as well as the evidence provided by cemeteries for people’s expectations of life and death.

Week 5

Food and its consumption are covered in the fifth week. We will look at the different sources of evidence for food, from medieval recipe books offering instruction on the elaborate meals consumed by the better-off to the simpler (but increasingly more diverse) diets of peasants and townsfolk, for which archaeological data and medieval accounting can provide useful information. We will also consider the ways in which food was cooked and consumed.

Week 6

The discovery of King Richard III’s skeleton in a Leicester car park in 2012 excited a storm of interest and some controversy around the world. This week is devoted to an analysis of the results of the project, including the investigation of the site of the Greyfriars where he was originally buried, the dramatic injuries inflicted on the king at Bosworth Field and the innovatory genetic work that established the skeleton’s identity with certainty, as well as final service of re-interment at Leicester Cathedral in March 2015.

Why Leicester?

The University of Leicester is one of the UK's leading research and teaching universities with over 25 years' experience of offering high quality distance learning courses.

This course has been designed by members of ULAS (University of Leicester Archaeological Services), who were involved with the discovery of Richard III.

Teaching and Learning

At the end of each week of the course there is normally a set of multiple choice questions to test your understanding of what you have learned, and this will count towards your overall course score. Please note that this is a FutureLearn score, and is not valid as credit for other courses at the University of Leicester - although a MOOC is a great 'taster' for university learning.