TITLE:
Radiodating of the Hairs of the Presumed Holy Maria-Magdalena
AUTHORS:
Gérard Lucotte
KEYWORDS:
Maria-Magdalena’s Hairs, Radiodating, Carbon of the Keratin, 1279 Exhumation, Charles II
JOURNAL NAME:
Archaeological Discovery,
Vol.9 No.2,
March
9,
2021
ABSTRACT: We report here the result concerning the radiodating of the carbon of the keratin of hairs from a lock of the presumed Holy Maria-Magdalena kept in the Saint-Maximin basilica. The aim of this research is to establish the best dating possible. The age obtained is 1260 ± 30 years; for this hair lock this date corresponds in fact to that of the exhumation of Maria-Magdalena’s body by Charles II in 1279. We conclude that King Charles II had completely carried out this exhumation story, to reinforce the influence of some part of his territory at that time.