Battle of Towton: Uncovering The Secrets Of England's Bloodiest Battle | Medieval Dead | Chronicle

On Palm Sunday 1461, the bloodiest battle in all of English history took place in a small Yorkshire town. The Battle of Towton saw over 28,000 people die during one of the largest snowstorms in British history. If these fallen soldiers could speak, what would they tell us? They would recount extraordinary tales of pagan rituals, plague, and the cruel land in which ordinary folk struggled just to stay alive. Now, centuries after they were buried, the medieval dead are about to rise from their graves. This series reveals true stories of medieval life by examining the skeletal remains that lie buried below the earth's surface.
Welcome to Chronicle; your home for all things medieval history! With documentaries covering everything from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance, from Hastings to Charlemagne, we'll be exploring everything the Middle Ages have to offer.
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[@ChronicleMedieval]

It's like Netflix for history... 📺 Sign up to History Hit, the world's best history documentary service and get 50% off using the code 'CHRONICLE' 👉 bit.ly/3iVCZNl

[@reginacarpenter5649]

P

[@Mr.NonFungible]

Y

[@dmitriyfeytser3431]

Imma keep you yyyy

[@dillo408]

@@reginacarpenter5649 ll

[@UncleTerd]

M.

[@Lela-plants]

With all this horror, it is amazing anyone made it through the Middle Ages.

[@turgidbanana]

People were tougher back then than the sheltered cattle we are now.

[@nycbearff]

No one DID make it through the Middle Ages. They all died.

[@Lela-plants]

@@nycbearff 🙄 They lived long enough to pass their genes along so that we can all be here today.

[@sylvienygaard1630]

It’s actually surprising the human race is not extinct

[@DarylSolis]

As a Scotsman myself, I am blown away at how the bloodiest battle was between two English armies. Interesting. England was at war with itself more than it was at war with Scotland, and Scotland likewise.

[@veronicalogotheti5416]

It seems they were not the same people in england

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

These medieval folk cared not a straw for any idea of nation, country, or patriotism; their loyalties were tied solely to their feudal lords - both “temporal” and “spiritual”.

[@ufc990]

It's the same with the United States' bloodiest war.

[@NoNoseProduction]

You don't sound like a Scotsman. Liar.

[@tunneltime8885]

@@NoNoseProduction oooooohhh! snap! calling BUSH!

[@cw4608]

28,000 dead men is bad enough. Consider the families and farms left destitute because their men were either not coming back at all, or returned crippled.

[@ChristianAuditore14]

He who lives by the sword dies by the sword

[@johnanita9251]

Remember the possibilities to take over farmland for cheap. One's death is under man's bread. In a rather stagnant society war was a big mover of opportunities

[@deborahhebblethwaite1865]

Maybe they ate something that made them crazy

[@rosejacklyn]

@@johnanita9251 sad but true. But I also imagine, so many men died that entire generations were gone in the areas they were from. I'm assuming men from other lands had to come in and take over, if the women and younger children were too vulnerable to keep their properties. So sad.

[@TesterAnimal1]

@@ChristianAuditore14 these people would probably rather not have been there. It’s a bunch of jumped up “royals” squabbling over which of them was the top dog.

[@terim.0404]

This was such a emotional ride into history of England's bloodiest battle. Rather than the expectations of the chivalry and heroism it was a brutal and violent moment in history. The tears of sadness I felt throughout will be forever with me. Remembering those men who fought that day. Those people whose lives ended or was forever changed. I'm overwhelmed with emotion. You've done a wonderful thing here. Honoring those men.

[@kathyastrom1315]

This was excellent! My 17th great grandfather Lionel de Welles was killed at Towton, so I’ve been researching it since I discovered the family link, and I learned a lot here. Thanks!

[@smokieedanlan5804]

This is very interesting to me would love to know more

[@smokieedanlan5804]

I’m very into world history and history of Europe

[@praetorian3959]

You got to go back 600 years?! That is awesome! It seems my family consists of some Dutch ninja’s or something, I cannot go further back than 150 years. But maybe that is a difference between our two countries. Hoping you can find out even more!

[@runenummedal6957]

If all the descendants of the men who died at Towton were gathered together they would make up a formidable army ....

[@carrieowen5895]

@@praetorian3959 viva la Dutch ninjas...me too

[@jrussell424]

This is a great documentary that I enjoyed. I have one complaint though. The audio levels are so low that every ad blasted my eardrums. Be careful if you’re watching this with earbuds in, because I got quite a few adbreaks, all substantially loud compared to the video.

[@voraciousreader3341]

The animated fighting skeletons were very powerful to me, for some reason. This program is so well done, and so is the series....the British documentary production values are so distinctive, with such a high degree of excellence....and the amazing thing is, it doesn’t really matter which company is responsible for each documentary or series, bc they’re all so good!

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

Excellent, thank you, I just wish the volume of the speaker, not the narrator, was a bit louder, it’s hard to hear him, even with my volume all the way up.

[@richardlong3745]

Fantastic story and maybe a even better outcome. If it's true part of the chapel is still standing to gives a warm feeling to my heart that these many men who died are still respected.

[@j.b.4340]

You have the greatest intros. The content is engaging, and powerful. The story telling,and narration, are excellent. Thank you for these. The ones about the Battle of Visby are my favorites.

[@tashben128]

Ychvijjj name he can lmk be here by noon in kkjjkkkl you kkippol ok lppppp poop ppjnjkkkkkkmmlllloi kill my book killing is lettermen's Shenandoah men hehehehe amendment it how okkooppppp

[@patriciajrs46]

@@tashben128 Did you type this like this on purpose? I really hope not.

[@dumbfounder6964]

@@patriciajrs46 looks like word salad.

[@tauceti8341]

I just found this channel it has some really great videos! Really enjoy the narration! Watched almost all of them so far!

[@kimberlypatton205]

Dr.Marlen is a phenomenal forensic osteologist! I enjoy the superb level of expertise of all these excellent professionals!

[@martfildes9675]

I literally just found you’re channel and now I’m binge watching! Bravissimo.

[@Hallands.]

I can’t believe they took so long to find the Kings chapel! At the point where they talked about possible flowerbeds I was almost yelling »look inside the hall!« When something is sacred, the next generation always try to include it in the next, sacred building. There’s hardly a village church in Denmark which isn’t built upon a former, wooden church and beneath this is often traces of pagan holy places. Nearby are often the most prominent Bronze Age grave mounds and even those are sometimes built upon huge mounds erected in the Stone Age…

[@driftwoodkitty]

I'm like "where is Richard's Chapel" and I'm yelling at the screen...."behind you! It's right there!" haven't seen the rest of the video yet.....hope I'm right!

[@Hallands.]

@@driftwoodkitty Oh, we were right 😊

[@6Haunted-Days]

@@driftwoodkitty sure they need the amazing astounding help of you 2…..are you serious?? 🙄🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣 Now why didn’t they come to YT to ask all the normally ignorant and stoooopid morons comment where to find it…..strange. Didn’t occur to you that they do that for DRAMATIC EFFECT with these shows??? Only someone suffering from Dunning-Kruger effect would think they didn’t know what they’re doing and needed you’re help.

[@pillager6190]

@Hallands - I watched the entire"Time Team" series and the Reuse of Holy sites you describe was shown time and again. American lands are devoid of this. We had so few people in a Much larger area that there is a very thin occupancy layers in the ground to begin with and the people were much more mobile. We also went from wood houses/stone tools directly to bricks/gunpowder that it obscures much. Western Europe seems to be a series of invasions that Kept most of the people alive and just changed who was in charge, absorbing the previous occupants in to the new where in the USA the invaders tried to erase the old society instead.

[@Hallands.]

@@pillager6190 Spot on! But the native Americans were also warring among each other before the europeans began to arrive in larger numbers than the native chieftains could fathom. I suppose the main difference was agricultural development giving basis for raising many more children per family than the American Indians would ever dream of. Even as early as the viking age, this tendency to produce so much offspring they had to seek their fortune elsewhere was established. Only one son or daughter could inherit the farm, lest it would diminish in size with every generation. So the daughters got their dowry and the sons a fully equipped ship or part in a ship or cargo and off they went to make their fortune. After 5.5 centuries there was no more land to take in Europe, and the ships were more suited for long hauls, so next stop: America, I guess…

[@lyndaoneill7813]

Those days were full of wars and shocking violence.Terrible injuries and high amount of deaths.Brilliant doco,thoroughly enjoyed every minute.Thank you, ❤👍

[@terim.0404]

So today is no different. There just isn't the hand to hand combat like there was then. Religion is the primary reason for war between man. Kind of crazy since religion is supposed to teach people to love one another. Instead it kills one another. Where is the love in that?

[@6Haunted-Days]

Ya and it’s sooooooo peaceful now 🙄

[@josephstclair5937]

@@terim.0404 Religion? Religion is just an excuse.

[@garrick3727]

Recognizing the name Towton, I looked up where this is. It's 15 miles from my house. And I never heard of any of this. I quickly looked up Bosworth Field, which I have heard of, just to check it's not in my back garden.

[@PetroicaRodinogaster264]

Good grief you've never heard of it. I'm not even British, I'm Australian and I'd heard of it. I've heard of all these things. I amazes me how just how unaware of their own history some people are.

[@gandalfthegrey]

@@PetroicaRodinogaster264 What? Want a pat on the back?

[@PetroicaRodinogaster264]

@@gandalfthegrey yes, but not from idiots who don't know their own (tawdry) history.

[@budabk]

@@PetroicaRodinogaster264 Many people don't know their local history. It's too close.

[@mileshall9235]

@Poppy Petals - You're a real Karen aren't ya? 😅 Whatever blows your hair back I guess....

[@hazelwood-wi9sk]

LOVED this video! Thank you for posting this. I was born at nearby Hazelwood Castle and am familiar with how bleak the Towton battlefield can be on a snowy winters day. That day must have been sheer hell for both sides and the carnage overwhelming. Can't wait to see if more excavations are carried out at Towton Hall.

[@auntijen3781]

This presentation is like Time team + Bone Detectives! Love it! Thx.

[@rogersledz6793]

Thank you so much for uploading this video. It is helping me get through the pandemic!

[@MrLoobu]

28 thousand dead in one day hand to hand battle is insane. Only a few battles ever went down that badly, even fewer in civil wars.

[@MichelleIbarraMHAEdD]

It's amazing to me how the archeologists pull out some random rock that looks like all the other random rocks and they're like "this is the edge of a windowsill ".🙌 Well done!

[@MyMonique28]

😂

[@Orphen42O]

What amazes me is how many items such as coins, combs, and jewelry were lost in the dirt waiting for an archaeologist to them a thousand years later. It seems as if our ancestors were particularly bad at keeping track of their possessions. Didn't they notice when a belt buckle or button came off? Also the people of antiquity must have been especially careless with their pottery because shards of it keep turning up. d

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Fantastic docu! Very intresting and informative. Appreciate it a LOT! Greetings from the Netherlands, T.

[@paulholman2841]

Henry Tudor VII defeated Richard III to become King of England, ending the wars of the roses (the Tudor royal badge is a red rose (lancaster) inside of a larger white rose (York)). Tudor is a very distant relation to the house of Lancaster, and Richard III was a direct descendant of the house of York. For reasons of maintaining their royal legitimacy, and their tenuous claim to the throne, it makes sense to me that the Tudor dynasty would dismantle this church, especially during the dissolution of the catholic church in England under Henry VIII. It also makes sense to me, that due to the widespread outrage of the dissolution of the catholic church in England, that this building would've been destroyed without any official record. Because the Church of England still exists, it would also make sense to me why this speculation, or any evidence that might exist of it, would remain hidden even to this day. This was an important building commissioned by a King, yet there is no official record of it's demolition ? Considering how meticulous the English became towards record keeping after William the conquerer, I'd have to guess this church was intentionally destroyed, and the action taken against it, purposely, and carefully kept from being recorded.

[@adamjd7645]

And don't forget, there's precedent: Shakespeare was working under the Tudors and worked hard to legitimise them and paint the Yorkists (especially RIII) in the worst possible light.

[@lesleeherschfus707]

@@adamjd7645 You also have to remember Henry VII married the Yorkist Elizabeth of York in an attempt to legitimize his reign.

[@adamjd7645]

@@lesleeherschfus707 Yep... Never said he wasn't a shrewd operator. But he needed at least a drop of royal blood associated with him to maintain control. But... if Edward IV was a bastard, then so was Elizabeth.

[@lesleeherschfus707]

@@adamjd7645 He had that thru his mother Margret Beaufort. If anything she was the ambitious one

[@adamjd7645]

@@lesleeherschfus707 But the Beaufort claim was thin & they were forbidden from assuming the throne.

[@petergray7576]

Despite being called the War of the Roses, only the Yorkists actually used a rose as a symbol, the Lancastrian Rose only being introduced by Henry Tudor after he ascended to the throne in 1485. He did this as a symbolic gesture of peace among the partisans of both factions. This was an interesting choice, as Henry Tudor wasn't a full member of the Lancastrian line, but was a descendant of their allies, the Beauforts, and was related to the Lancasters through his mother. His father- Edmund Tudor- was Henry VI's cognatic half brother, meaning he wasn't a Lancastrian either, as Henry V's widow remarried to Owen Tudor. This all became rather moot anyway, as the male Lancastrian line had perished with Henry VI and his two sons, and the Yorkist line perished in 1499 with the death of Edward, Earl of Warwick. And the Plantagenet line died out completely in 1600 with the passing of Elizabeth I. And then you get a scattering of scurvy Scotsmen followed by a jot of jokey Germans at the end of the funeral parade.

[@stephenhill545]

Edward IV's banner was the three suns, and Richard III's was a white boar. Who used the white rose?

[@missmiagi2147]

Wow..this was fantastic! Absolutely brilliant work 😊

[@niklar55]

Good documentary.👍 The sound level is very, very low! I had everything turned up to maximum to be able to hear it. .

[@brandyjean7015]

I wondered if I was the only one with this problem. Thanks.

[@marjoriegarner5369]

I couldn't hear, so stopped watching.

[@jimjankswankson]

Awesome dock👍🏾 it’s still amazing how human life is just thrown away in horrible conditions for power and wealth till this day.

[@geoben1810]

@ Marcus Carter And frequently in the name of God.

[@manlikederek925]

Capitalism with a side of tightly concentrated wealth combined religious bodies all to willing to endorse "crusades" or "Jihad" both aka genocide leading to a brutal shameful exploitation of the common man/have-nots

[@mcburcke]

Great story of the search for the chapel! But, I've got to ask...have any excavations or searches been conducted inside or under Towton Hall been carried out to try to locate the foundations/walls of the chapel? That would seem the real conclusion for all of the work that has gone into the search. X-ray analysis or careful probing of the interior walls; GPR run over the floors to look below with "indoor" geophys; digging underneath the Hall itself, etc. There has to be some sort of follow-up of this sort, I would think?

[@jimmeade2976]

What about records of building Towton Hall? Is there nothing that would indicate the hall was built using part of the chapel?

[@angelsinger4574]

It would be interesting! I imagine the pandemic put a halt on a lot of archaeological research.

[@marionpfander8752]

I don't think anyone would be happy to have their living spaces dug up over years for anything , even history . Maybe 1 part / room of the building the owners might agree to have excavated , but it would probably have to be in the center where the old chapel most likely stood . Still a major inconvenience .

[@erichimes3062]

Hardly a decade after the Black Death; It was a good ten-year run for the Reaper.

[@josetomas2233]

A century later

[@erichimes3062]

@@josetomas2233 oops. Yes, that’s right.

[@indy_go_blue6048]

@@erichimes3062 But isn't this about the time that the "sweating sickness" afflicted England? I'm not sure of the date but the 1460s sound familiar.

[@paul6925]

Medieval era in Europe often comes up in conversations about the most horrifying periods of history to live in

[@iandemontfort4276]

Bless them all. We must remember the blood spilt. Honour them and honour our ancestors.

[@mortalclown3812]

Why?

[@kfbell11]

Lol every single battle ever taught?

[@chino3796]

My ancestors were conquistadors. I do not honor their cruelty.

[@iandemontfort4276]

@@chino3796 And you cannot judge them either because the conscious level was different then. In addition you cannot honour the cruelty of the natives towards one another. Think about it.

[@iandemontfort4276]

@Skydaddy Myth-Busters I'm not talking about sex with children. That's a different conversation. Manning up on a battlefield is different from hurting a child. Nothing wrong with honouring courage, right, or wrong. Bravery does not align with molesting children. Humanity still fights today. Keep your canard!

[@podaly]

I was surprised the infantry was kitted out in expensive armor. Was that standard? If so...what happened to it after battle? And how did the skeletons get those injuries as described if they were wearing armor? Fascinating episode.

[@0Zolrender0]

The knights on foot weapon of choice was the Pole Axe. It acted as a mace and an armour piercing pike all in one. Look it up. It was great for smashing into armour and breaking the bones beneath with blunt trauma and the reverse side with penetrating weak spots. Since it was 2 handed they got great leverage with it and it landed blows with great force.

[@louisacosentino9543]

This is an excellent documentary. Thank you for posting it.

[@ChronicleMedieval]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@danore7066]

Excellent Documentary thank You 👌🏻🤲🏻

[@philipcallicoat3147]

That's what"History" is..War after war... The winning side writes the"history"..💔💔💔🕊️

[@christiandietz6341]

The Hundred Years War (1337-1453) produced a vast multitude of highly trained soldiers, veterans, and thus made such a big carnage at Towton possible. Sadly, the civil war "of the roses" raged on on until 1487. It lasted for more than 32 years!

[@levity90]

Such a disgusting waste of human life. Those poor men and boys.

[@tenzinnordron9836]

Sadly, the urge of Rulers to establish Hegemony over the people & resources of other nations poses an even greater threat of existential carnage today. I.e., USA vs. nations with resources, particularly, gas/oil, it craves. Obama loved telling the annual UN congress that the US is the world’s “sole indispensable nation.” Even worse is the US attempt to dominate Russia by sponsoring a Nazi powered coup in Ukraine & it’s endless lies re Russia and threats of war that we’ve had to endure in the run-up to Christmas & the New Year. The US hasn’t won any war since WW2 (excepting the Iraq Wars, with the 2d hardly accomplishing any victory other than mass casualties & torture and reconciliation of Iraq and Iran). WW2 vs. Germany was only “won” with the tremendous blood sacrifice of the Russians who defeated the Nazis & it’s cruel/barbaric use of horrific weapons vs. Japan, even though Japan was already suing for peace.

[@jordanhicks5131]

@@levity90 Was it? War brings progress, this enabled england to rise to the great power it became in the 1500s and beyond

[@stephenhill545]

@@jordanhicks5131 England was a minor power until the Elizabethan age. This battle just thinned out a male population already 5x lower than France's and 7x less than the Holy Roman Empire.

[@jordanhicks5131]

@@stephenhill545 and what brought on the Elizabethan period? The rise of the Tudors. Which wouldn't have happened without the war of the roses.

[@TheSilmarillian]

Well research and an enjoyable watch indeed

[@oscarsusan3834]

YT had a field day with the ads on this one,2 x 15 sec ads every minute.. Didn’t watch till the end and didn’t remember the ads ,lose lose. Bravo!

[@paulrosa6173]

As grizzly as so many of the wounds are it is quite possible that the victims didn't actually feel them, especially if they died quickly or lost consciousness quickly.. My father, during WWII, was wounded with shrapnel and didn't actually know he had been wounded. He said the only thing that clued him to the fact that he was dripping blood all over was the fact that his sergeant took one look at him and called "medic". There is a famous story about the chemist, tax famer Lavoisier, who went to the guillotine during the French revolution. He had arranged with a friend to watch his head in the basket to see his eye blinking. He blinked his eyes several times before he passed out. That does seem to say he was feeling no pain. I suspect those with injuries to their head felt the least pain because the brain itself - other than the protective membrane surrounding it - has no pain sensing nerves. The skin of the skull is not that sensitive. The execution of Louis XVI was disgusting and thoroughly botched. Apparently, because he was overweight, he couldn't stretch his neck out adequately and the blade got caught in his jaw. The reason the etchings of his execution show his head with dangling something hanging from it may be because his jaw was shaved off as the executioners (always called Samson for some reason) had to push the blade to complete the drop. I've also heard the same thing about traumatic injury and even a personal experience with a gun shot wound to my head, that It didn't hurt at all. It didn't hurt until the wound started to swell in the ambulance nearly 30 minutes later.

[@AmandaLarsson100]

Thank you. One of the best documentaries describing how the soldiers died fighting on Palm Sunday, during the 'War Of the Roses'. I as many others, would really appreciate knowing more about the remains of the Chapel inside Towton Hall. If it is in fact allowed by the National Heritage Trust. Is there perhaps a link / video on the soldiers armour? To think how they were able to manoeuvre in such conditions is literally 'mind blowing'!.

[@creatrixZBD]

I am pretty sure these are old tv documentaries, stripped of their credits, and uploaded by the person/people who run this channel. Not content actually written, filmed and produced by them. Not saying that’s a bad thing, just that your questions might be better asked elsewhere 🙏🏽

[@brynmawr27]

National Heritage Trust? What might that be?

[@archenema6792]

At least you put "War of the Roses" in quotes, since no such thing happened, and it's been well established that the whole name and narrative was invented whole cloth by Tudor propagandists a generation later. Except for a few factual tidbits, this video is complete BS from beginning to end.

[@annascott3542]

Search for Dr. Toby/Tobias Capwell he’s probably the world authority right now on armour from this period there are numerous programs & lectures he’s given available here on KZbin.

[@miguelfernando1971]

ArchEnema 67 please post info on this cover up

[@erinklein5615]

I am loving this channel!!!

[@caveben3523]

How much bass? Sound engineer: Yes

[@markbowles2382]

Common man would know this in 5 minutes - still nice to see science prove it - well done archeologist - I would love to visit Touton Hall and pay tribute to those whom we owe so much, people forget, that all casualties of war are victims, and that it was their sacrifice, both the victorious and the fallen, that make us, the present day living, what we are today. From the painfully retired, thank you for the upload, excellent documentary.

[@stephenhill545]

We don't owe them anything. It was purely a dynastic struggle brought about by a mad king, and couple of plausible claims to the throne, an unfortunate state of affairs.

[@barbaralamson7450]

Excellent, thank you.

[@chrisnewport7826]

"Their shouts and screams rose loud and clear, A grievous noise it was to hear"

[@SofaKingShit]

Ground breaking archeological work.

[@TesterAnimal1]

Usually is… (I’ll get me coat)

[@Lou.B]

Fascinating! Excellent!

[@Luna.3.3.3]

Loved this! Absolutely fascinating. ....Still freaks me out when I see people handling human bones, though. I do see it in a different light now, though - that these people are being remembered. RIP

[@ChronicleMedieval]

Keep your eyes peeled for the rest of the series!

[@Luna.3.3.3]

@@ChronicleMedieval More? Fantastic! I look forward to it 😊

[@kaptainkaos1202]

I always hope that when bones are found DNA is analyzed.

[@whydahell3816]

Beautifully done. I couldn't get over why noones ironed those mens shirts at the end. A great documentary, heartbreaking.

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

Archaeology is a thankless task...no one ever irons our shirts.

[@chris.asi_romeo]

Excellent documentary 👏👏👏

[@goodhealthcentral6829]

After all the study and research on the skeletons are finished, rebury them near or at the position where they were found. Mark the grave yard and record where each numbered skeleton eventually went. By doing this, any future research can be done precisely and with reverence. Don't just number the skeletons and bung them back in the boxes where they were placed before the research then finally store them in some sort of archive. These were people who still need respect.

[@martywanlass4774]

I suppose with modern dna studies, each skeleton could be associated with a family and returned to his home town. 30,000 + or - would be overwhelming. Perhaps some could be returned, otherwise, give them all a decent burial, with a commemorative plaque. This would be for ancestors way down the line, us!

[@nycbearff]

To keep them and study them IS treating them with respect - it is recovering information about their lives that would otherwise be lost forever.

[@82dorrin]

They're dead. They don't care.

[@dianacooper-havlik9085]

Fascinating! Thank you✨

[@MrAndrew1953]

Shame the incorporation of the chapel wasn’t documented, acknowledged in someway. An important piece of the historical local heritage was lost.

[@urso3000]

I love it’s, thanks for sharing.

[@sonic-earth]

this was great .. thanks

[@alancoe1002]

That "28,000 dead" nonsense just won't die. 9,000 dead is the high side of the three battles called Towton. Ferrybridge at dawn, Dintingdale around noon, main battle between Saxton and Towton, late afternoon until past dark. Medieval armies were small. It was end of winter and the army of Margaret had been over this ground twice. Edward IV' s speed of pursuit and attack demanded a smaller and more nimble force. It was a three to four hour march from York by Margaret's army, 3-4 by Edward's from Pontefract. Armies bigger than 10-15 thousand would not have fit on these roads in the time frame. Edward had to bring a baggage train because that part of the country was foraged out. Just for some perspective, the King of France, Charles VII assembled an army of 50,000, and that took years of prep. The 28,000 dead number is based on a letter written by Bishop Neville, trying to make it the mother of all battles. Unfortunately, historian Hall would echo the 100,000 fighting men present at the battle nonsense a half century later, claiming he'd seen the muster rolls. Nonsense. This campaign was rapid, no time for that. Hall also added snow and dialogue to the battle. Thanks. 9,000 dead is horrific enough, and way closer to the truth.

[@mikev4621]

Alan Coe - you could be right

[@voraciousreader3341]

So, *@Alan Coe,* was your purpose in watching the video in order to critique the contents? Since you seem to know something about the battle, why did you not list your sources when critiquing the contents, as any historian would do? Or do people really believe that simply stating their opinion makes their comments true? While more contemporary historians dispute the death and casualty estimates given in primary sources, that doesn’t mean that they are putting those vitally important sources in the trash...they have to cite their sources when asserting *THEIR OPINIONS, NOT FACTS,* and, if you’re asserting legitimacy as a historian, then you must cite your sources, bc *NOBODY KNOWS FOR SURE* what happened on that battleground.

[@martywanlass4774]

Any idea how many skeletons have already been found?

[@alancoe1002]

@@voraciousreader3341 I did cite the few sources that are available, for the very purpose of criticizing them. The weaknesses of relying on Bishop Neville's letter to the papal legate Coppini are as stated earlier.

[@alancoe1002]

@@martywanlass4774 40 in the latest pit excavated in 1996, but there has been a battle survey since then. So far, no where near 28,000. They would have needed the whole plateau for that.

[@blueunicornhere]

32:28 what happened to such mastery of architecture? Who could stand in _any_ modern structure and see such amazing artistry. Very few.

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

I makes me so sad that so many ordinary men, in the prime of their lives, died miserably just to support the dynasty claims of a few noblemen. The survivors were lucky to even get paid as promised, and the widows and children the dead left behind got nothing but more dire poverty than ever.

[@veronicasponchia5838]

If they were on the losing side it was even worse.

[@GrimReaper-ly8zk]

Nothing has changed

[@mikev4621]

I wouldn't be so certain that a lot of them weren't willing and enthusiastic fighters

[@terintiaflavius3349]

Same thing happens today. Nothing has changed

[@nettewilson853]

A tale as old as human civilization.

[@brett76544]

The little bighorn battle field that is how they located where certain things happened, using metal detectors. They were even able to track individuals through the battlefield by spent rounds. Then some spots where there was a pile of unspent rounds.

[@LilyGazou]

Don’t you think it’s interesting that they made it a priority to give the mRNA shots to Native Americans and Native Canadians?

[@brett76544]

@@LilyGazou and just how many schools do they have to dig around 500 or so. That is about the normal answer for areas in north America.

[@jturtle5318]

@@LilyGazou they're dying of SARS-COV2 in numbers far higher than other POC in the US and Canada, the highest of any ethnic group.

[@elizabethford7263]

It seems to be a theme with Richard III... Hiding in plain sight.

[@GrandmaCathy]

Fascinating.

[@onagaali2024]

Great video but why is the sound so low.

[@cici3147]

Why is the volume always so low on history videos?? Is it an Industry-wide scheme to get headphones?? I have to put on captions to understand this one!

[@parrotraiser6541]

The obvious next step is a careful examination of the building that is still standing, for evidence of the original structure. Once sought, finding it ought to be straightforward.

[@QuBoadicea69]

Really want to see a follow up of the embedded old chapel. Has a documentary been done?

[@Mohawks_and_Tomahawks]

"A battlefield is like a multiple murder scene." Well, we know that guy has a High School diploma.

[@Fatherofheroesandheroines]

Calling the War of the Roses after a peaceful flower used as a heraldic badge is ironic. My ancestors were part of the victorious army at Townton but also Lancasters. They were mercenaries and somehow they all lived.

[@jturtle5318]

It was also called The Cousins War.

[@graceamerican3558]

I wonder if there is a list of names of the men that died that day. Although probably not. If we are of British descent then more than likely we have someone from both sides in that field.

[@stephenhill545]

They know which Lords and knights were present, and how many of them died. From that they guestimated the number of soldiers present. Around 5% of the male population of England, Wales and Scotland was there, so you will have a drop of blood from someone who was there.

[@graceamerican3558]

@@stephenhill545 Thank you for that. 5% is a lot of affected families.

[@tracypologruto498]

Very Interesting

[@katharper655]

I can't help wondering if, after 15 years tireless searching, the archaeologists feel it to be a touch anti-climactic, finding Richard's chapel buried within another building. In a sense, it must seem further away than ever. However, now it is no longer utterly lost. That is a comforting fact, surely.

[@oahuhawaii2141]

I'm surprised the team didn't start analyzing the walls of the current building to see if any come from the original chapel's structure. The show ended in an anticlimactic way.

[@katharper655]

@@oahuhawaii2141 I'm actually relieved to read your comment. I hav for a long time followed this Team's digs: several at Towton, of course; but also a long, drawn-out one at Agincourt;

[@oahuhawaii2141]

@@katharper655: I'm the type of person who feels the team had an inkling of where the chapel is, but decided to map out the whole area, just to consume the full budget for the search. So rather than be done in a month or two, they stretched out the project for many years to burn through the money. A friend of mine was a facility and maintenance director at a major base in Hawaii. He always had to deal with the archaeological specialist, and tell her there's nothing to study, despite her loud objections. For example, when he had to replace a street light, she wanted to supervise the dig, and hire her pals at a local museum to excavate the area. He told her he's just replacing the base, pole, lamp fixture, and lights, and adding a solar backup module. She threatened that the commander will get in legal trouble if they disturb *iwi* (ancient Hawaiian bones); she must conduct a survey of the area. He said he'll contact the commander, and tell him that's he's just going to dig out the existing base, and put in a new one, so he won't find anything, since the area had already been checked decades ago, when the lights were originally installed. He doesn't want the street light to take a year to replace and cost $2M, and then end up with a 100-page report about chicken bones and trash left buried by the previous work crew.

[@katharper655]

@@oahuhawaii2141 You strike me as a person who, if you're not of Hawaiian extraction, you have studied the culture and have great respect for them.I have Deepest Respect for people who reverence the rights and traditions of indigenous Peoples. For a few years, I lived in Northern Idaho...my brother had been a music teacher in the High school on the Nex Perce Reservation surrounding Lapwai; when he accepted another position in Northwest Washington State, his eldest daughter remained with me. She was engaged to a young Nez Perce man, who was a lineal descendant of Chief Joseph, the Great Chief who said, when the Pony Soldiers had fought his forces to a standstill: ".....my heart is sick and sad. From where the Sun now stands, I shall fight no more forever." I fell in love with the people, traditions, and spiritual practices of the Nez Perce; and participated in inipi (sweatlodge) ceremonies, Pow Wows, learned brain tanning, beading and how to smoke jerk elk and venison. My soon-to-be nephew-by-marriage watched me very closely...talked with me about their legends..watched my face as he talked. Finally...one day he loaded me in his pickup..a council elder went with us..and a few miles out, the old man blindfolded me and we drove for a while. They guided me on foot over rocky terrain for several hundred yards, then took off the blindfold. We were in a small box canyon..the walls were covered with petroglyphs...wonderful images of birds, people, deer...and what could only have been a woolly mammoth. I can only say I was so moved by their trust I wept like a baby...We burnt silver sage and sweetgrass, the elder sang a chant and we left a gift of tobacco and food for the Old Ones. That was the most wonderful experience Ive ever had. Thank you for sharing your story with me. Kat

[@patriciajrs46]

That is a lot of bodies, and pieces of bodies. Seriously sad. I doubt very seriously that any of these will ever get their names back. While there are still things to learn from these battle zones the names are not likely to be one of them. Thank you for this painstaking work. It would be cool if they could find the skeleton of King Richard lll.

[@teebes2009]

I believe they found his skeleton in a parking lot recently. As I recall they confirmed it by forensically 'refleshing' his skull and by DNA research.

[@fiachramaccana280]

where have you been? his reburial and memorial ceremony is on youtube even

[@triciasomogyi5431]

teebes2009 - Wasn’t that recent.

[@fiachramaccana280]

@@triciasomogyi5431 recent ....given the context that it had been there since 1485. Recent.....a few years ago.

[@TesterAnimal1]

They found Richard III several years ago! Plenty of docs about that on KZbin!

[@kristinetaulbut4975]

Fascinating

[@kaarlimakela3413]

I am obsessed with this century of English history. I have declared for Richard III 💜 Oh. I wish more people would use R III's original portrait, not the one painted over later, twisting his image perTudor spin.

[@randomvintagefilm273]

Richard the turd was a murderer most foul

[@margaretlwanga]

@@randomvintagefilm273 The Plantagenets were an ill-tempered lot

[@mta4562]

@@randomvintagefilm273 well, that is a solid argument, for a 5 year old. act your age, delbert!

[@archclement2902]

Declared for the kin slayer have you? The foul brute murdered his own Nephews! I hope to meet you on the field of battle soon!

[@mta4562]

@@archclement2902 there is no evidence he killed his nephews. i think it is highly unlikely. do you often try to duel with old ladies? make you feel macho? you have no sense and you are cruel to the elderly. shame on you!

[@patlong3903]

We have the opportunity to be "armchair chair experts" of a battle some 500 years after it occurred. One of the things that gets me is the question; "Where is the Armor?", that is asked so frequently ... Armor, as you may have figured out, would be very expensive. The Lord's (highest ranked nobleman) would have armor (with heraldic symbols to identify them), their armor could be removed, if they were still alive, it could be used for identification for the purpose of ransom. If the wearer was dead, it would be removed, if just for the value, to be cleaned up, re-fitted, and passed on to another fighting person. Those individuals that had armor, and did not have the financial where-withall to afford armor, may have been a part of a nobleman's private army. Also ... If you are in a battle, and all you had for armor was boiled leather (which proved to be quite effective when worn by reactors), if you see a piece of armor lying about, and hopefully not encasing some body part of it's former wear-er, nay be grabbed up, in haste, to be used to protect some of their body parts. This is supposition on my part, based on my watching other documentaries ... I'm not an expert (other then the afore-mentioned "armchair" variety.).

[@voraciousreader3341]

It’s good that you admit to being ignorant about a video’s contents, bc it’s very easy for me to spot the people who are self proclaimed “KZbin PhDs” from watching a few videos about a certain subject. But, you don’t have to “armchair” anything....get a book and read it (or listen to it being read) and, if you’re like most extremely curious people, the reference section in that book will lead you to read more books. If you do read any of the books listed there, you’ll find that each of the authors have their own interpretation of the subject, even though they used the same primary sources....without the examination of primary sources, the book and video are worthless. To me, watching videos (however well researched) only gives a person one meager university lecture in terms of time spent engaging with a subject, which is nothing at all where knowledge building is concerned, and guessing is a meager shadow compared to active learning.

[@stephenhill545]

The people in this grave had been stripped before being executed. Armour was booty.

[@garrick3727]

Wait. Chapel Grange was the last place they looked for the chapel, and that's where they found it? I bet the locals had a field day with that. "I hear yon archaeologist found his missing chapel after 20 years" "Aye. It were in Chapel Grange ye know." "Who'd a' thought it. University education for ye." "Aye."

[@tomlayman3141]

My thoughts at first view of the current structure was that since they couldn't find remnants of King Richards chapel anywhere else, it must be that it was hidden inside or under the current structure. Just logic I guess.

[@DancingQueenie]

😀 Always the last place you look.

[@leftistsarenotpeople]

Pay attention to this folks. Civil Wars repeatedly teach us one unquestionable thing; they are indeed the bloodiest, most horrific wars, all fought with the most viciousness. It is often said that family arguments are usually the worst and that you always hurt the ones you love. Well, there may not be much love lost in an internal strife but they certainly ARE the most brutal. This should be on everyone's mind whenever the discussion turns to civil wars and internal revolts. For the record, I am not against them, per se. Sometimes these kinds of fights are inevitable... and necessary. We have one brewing now across the Western world and it is going to play out as badly as any war in history.

[@JoRiver11]

A dire warning about civil war, with that user name? Holy irony, Batman.

[@OhyesSofresh]

With a username like that you’re clearly apart of the problem

[@leftistsarenotpeople]

@@OhyesSofresh Think so you mouthy degenerate? Stand by, just wait and you are PERSONALLY going to find out what your kind of indifferent, leftist insanity is going to cause. With a comment like that, YOU are more than part of the problem. YOU degenerates are who have reduced society to the levels of putrid behavior we see on the news every night. There is NOTHING redeeming about you, your actions, your rhetoric nor even the diseased air you cough up. In short, YOUR KIND is nothing less than the humous that makes up the best quality gardening dirt. THAT is where we are going to put you come hell or high water.... in the fk'n ground!

[@stephenhill545]

The problem at Towton, and what made it particularly cruel, was that local rival warlords and their retinues literslly lined up oppodite each other with a view to destroying each other any way they could. .

[@janetmackinnon3411]

Very interesting. Such erudite specialists!

[@paul6925]

Brutal but fascinating history. I always wonder what battles like that were like compared to movies and recreations. How often could you expect to be stabbed in the back while trying to go one on one with an opponent. Or dog-piled by a bunch of guys in a heavy armour

[@stephenhill545]

The usual practice at this time was thst the Lord fought his opposite Lord, and his retainers tried to pull him away if he got in trouble, and finished off his opponent if he fell. The people without proper armour usually hid behind the line and just pushed. They were called the naked men.

[@paul6925]

@@stephenhill545 Interesting! Wish I could go back in time to observe

[@ChrisLawton66]

A question for the more knowledgeable of you: Were there really that many fully armoured combatants as shown in the reenactments here?

[@inkyguy]

The volume needs to be higher for this video. I have the volume completely “maxed out” and the sound track is just within audible range.

[@heidimeigs3109]

Poor people were for all intents and purpose, slaves. They had no say against anything a nobleman wanted them to do.

[@bobbywilhelmi9932]

How did the window sill fragments end up way outside the hall in the garden if the hall was built over the chapel?

[@masterdrewanthony]

Well, I suppose war does indeed change, in a sense. Perhaps not fundamentally, but certainly in practice.

[@joethestack3894]

What screams out to me is the utter insanity behind a war such as this. What possessed these people that drove them to such extremes? All of this must be viewed as extreme dysfunctional behavior on several levels, and not as somebody's glorious heritage.

[@scallopohare9431]

Words almost fail me. Almost, but not quite. The British people broke free from servitude at all levels, and it involved battles like this. The barons who forced King John to sign Magna Carta were of this breed of men. Without them, you would not be able to read, you would be tugging your forelock to your superiors, and you would bring your livestock into your hovel during winter for extra warmth.

[@stephenhill545]

A dysfunctional system. The landowners appeared with their followers because you could be disinherited if you didn't show up, and win. They were governed by the fear of losing everything. They had to pick a side, and hope they won. This also made Towton so awful. Losing wasnt an option, which made the battle long.

[@captainmiller9918]

Uploader has not made this video available in the UK?

[@Orphen42O]

At the battle, Edward dd not want to give quarter to his enemies. Normally, high-born warriors were captured and then ransomed. At Towton, Edward said he wanted Lancastrians killed not captured. Edward's fury was fueled by his grief over the fact that his father and younger brother were killed by the Lancastrians. It is ironic that civil wars such as the War of Roses are especially vicious.

[@stephenhill545]

Kill the Lords and spare the commons was Edwards usual order. But at Towton Edward raised the dragon, which meant give no quarter.

[@MrSwj2009]

Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious by this son of York.

[@annascott3542]

I’d really like to know why the Earl of Warwick is portrayed with his hands apart and not in a prayer gesture with hands closed as one would expect I can’t find any online about this detail.

[@maudyg2475]

In medieval times people prayed with their hands up and separated. Some priests (for example in Mexico) still do it nowadays. The joined hand gesture for praying came later.

[@annascott3542]

@@maudyg2475 thank you so much!!!that makes sense. Reminiscent of evangelical praise gesture it’s probably more intuitive

[@GordonLonghouse]

Richard III reigned for 2 years before he was overthrown and killed. That was not enough time to build a fancy Medieval church. It hardly seems likely that Henry VII would have continued any work started by the man he overthrew and killed.

[@mikev4621]

It seems more likely the chapel was commenced by Ed 4 rather than R3 .Edward had plenty of reason to build it, as he became king after the battle

[@patriciajrs46]

Can't hear him even with full volume.

[@kanegarvey3188]

It’s because you’re old

[@adeleennis2255]

I always put on captions. That way I don’t miss anything. Just know that sometimes there will be an incorrect word here or there.

[@Angela-382]

@@kanegarvey3188 well, I'm old,(ish) but I can hear it really well, watching it on my phone

[@fredmartinez9597]

I think of the many generations that were in ancient times, like the ones we know of today. The 20's, the 30's, the 50's, the 60's, and so on. We will never know our exact past.

[@nick63837]

Very interesting and informative. But it still reminds me of human savagery which makes me very sad...

[@ernestsabatino826]

Volume too low

[@bitsnpieces11]

It really seems to me that "Time Team" did a program on this. I just don't remember when.

[@andyjarman4958]

Good to see the proper use of the title 'detectorist', disappointed he wasn't wearing camouflage though.

[@giselematthews7949]

The battle of towton, is even scary to to read about.

[@dorasmith7875]

It takes more than proving someone's arms weren't tied behind his back to prove that Richard or his brother or whoever didn't take prisoners and then execute them. It was a huge battle.

[@anymor7609]

Is there a part 2 where the chapel parts are identified within the structure and possible models of the original chapel are explored? Odd hypothetical place to end the documentary after such a build up ( sorry for the pun). Is the work ongoing?

[@kiplambert64]

How do they know that the bones are not just victims of the killer rabbit?

[@paulangelo1974]

No evidence of the Holy Hand Grenade being used.

[@mta4562]

it's tattooed on the back of their necks.

[@Angela-382]

😅

[@TheDogPa]

Right! One!... Two!... Five!

[@mta4562]

@@TheDogPa three, sir!

[@Errcyco]

I eat shit like this up by the shovelful.. awesome channel. I subbed immediately after watching the Nero piece, fantastic quality and non biased in depth look into history.

[@stephenhill545]

That's the good thing about civil war. Its dealt with in an objective manner. Nationalism doesn't get in the way.

[@TheSaneHatter]

I know it's not nearly from the period, but after hearing of the scale and the cruelty of the slaughter, it's hard for William Blake's "Lullaby" not to come to mind: "O who hath caused this? O who can answer at the throne of God? The Kings and Nobles of the Land have done it! Hear it not, Heaven, thy Ministers have done it!"