LONDON, ENGLAND—Live Science reports that researchers have identified the site of the tiltyard at Greenwich Palace, where Henry VIII incurred a debilitating jousting injury. In 1536, the king, who had been born at the palace, fell off his horse, which in turn landed on top of him after charging too quickly. Although the palace was largely dismantled by the end of the seventeenth century and no standing remains survive, the jousting yard and its eight-sided viewing towers had been depicted in paintings of the royal residence. However, the precise location of the yard, which measured about 650 by 250 feet, was unclear, in part because the paintings showed it in different areas of the palace grounds. Using ground-penetrating radar, University of Greenwich researcher Simon Withers and his colleagues found traces of two octagonal structures just five and one-half feet below the ground. "It's very difficult to think of this octagon not being one of the towers," Withers said. "We'll have to have a dig to see what's there." For more about Greenwich Palace, go to "Henry VIII's Favorite Palace."
