The ‘relics of Joan of Arc’: A forensic multidisciplinary analysis

Received 14 March 2008; received in revised form 2 September 2009; accepted 13 September 2009. published online 13 November 2009.

Abstract

Archaeological remains can provide concrete cases, making it possible to develop, refine or validate medico-legal techniques.

In the case of the so-called ‘Joan of Arc's relics’ (a group of bone and archaeological remains known as the ‘Bottle of Chinon’), 14 specialists analysed the samples such as a cadaver X of carbonised aspect: forensic anthropologist, medical examiners, pathologists, geneticists, radiologist, biochemists, palynologists, zoologist and archaeologist. Materials, methods and results of this study are presented here.

This study aims to offer an exploitable methodology for the modern medico-legal cases of small quantities of human bones of carbonised aspect.

Keywords: Forensic anthropology, Paleopathology, Joan of Arc, Relic, DNA analysis, Elementary analysis, Cremation, Archaeology

a Department of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, University Hospital Raymond Poincaré (AP-HP, UVSQ), 92380 Garches, France

b HALMA-IPEL (UMR 8164, CNRS), Lille 3 University, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France

c Laboratory of Biological Toxicology, Lariboisière Hospital (AP-HP), rue Ambroise Paré, 75010 Paris, France

d Lavoisier Institute, Versailles (UVSQ), France

e Department of Forensic Genetic, University Hospital Raymond Poincaré (AP-HP, UVSQ), 92380 Garches, France

f Biological and Niels Bohr Institutes, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

g Department of Radiology, La Pitié Salpétrière Hospital (AP-HP), Boulevard de l’Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France

h Laboratory of Palynology, National Museum of National History, Paris, France

i Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur les Textiles Anciens, Paris, France

j Institute of Human Paleontology, 75013 Paris, France

k Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie, Paris, France

l Expert in Medicine and Pharmacy Fine Arts, France

m Association des Amis du Vieux Chinon, Chinon, France

n Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Parakou, Benin

Corresponding author at: Department of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, University Hospital Raymond Poincaré (AP-HP, UVSQ), 92380 Garches, France.

PII: S0379-0738(09)00368-5

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2009.09.006

24 of 29