Archaeologists hunt for long-lost tomb of Scottish king

EDINBURGH: The tomb of a medieval king whose murder changed the course of Scottish history in a real-life “Game of Thrones” could be unearthed in a new hi-tech project launched Saturday.

Archaeologists and virtual reality artists want to digitally recreate the court of King James I of Scotland in Perth, around 40 miles (64 kilometres) from Edinburgh, and try to find the king’s tomb buried beneath the modern-day city.

They are also looking for the remains of his queen, Joan Beaufort, and of Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII of England and wife of James IV of Scotland, who was also buried there a century later.

The team has been inspired by the discovery of King Richard III of England beneath a car park in Leicester.

“It’s like ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Outlander’ all rolled into one — except this story is real,” said Paul Wilson, who is leading the digital visualisation project at Glasgow School of Art (GSA).

James I was assassinated on February 21, 1437, by supporters of a rival claimant to the throne, an act which historians say brought an end to his ambition to make Perth the capital of Scotland.

“That day changed Scotland forever,” Wilson said.

The king’s mausoleum lay at the heart of a Carthusian priory called the Charterhouse, which was modelled on the Grande Chartreuse in the French Alps.

The team is planning archaeological digs over the next two years to map out the Charterhouse boundaries and recover artefacts, which will then be used to create a virtual reality tour.