"We get things like medieval stone anchors to shell cases from the war, " she said.

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But you don't have to battle with bands of marauding tourists if you want to get a sense of medieval Tuscany.

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He added that it was rare to get a forensic insight into the remains of medieval kings - and that this study and the work done on the remains of Richard III, who was recently found buried under a car park in Leicester, were unusual.

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