![]() ![]() The results of this latest work are not yet published. More recent work has included an analysis of remains that were thought to be of St Luke, St David, and the True Cross – remains of the cross upon which Jesus was crucified, according to Christian tradition. Oxford has a long-held had a reputation in studying the remains of relics, using the Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit to date the Shroud of Turin and remains attributed to St John the Baptist. DNA analysis can establish common ancestries and the probable geographic origin of an individual, while historical and material evidence can be used to identify objects of special interest and set scientific data in a proper context to show how the relics were moved around by the Christian networks around the world. They will be aided by significant developments in scientific methods, such as higher precision radiocarbon dating that can pinpoint chronologies. The researchers aim to understand more about the origin and movement around the world of religious relics that have been attributed to specific individuals. ![]() Until now, these dimensions have been studied separately but this initiative will provide a joined up approach. ![]() It will include experts in radiocarbon dating, genetics and theology. For the first time, it will bring together a large team of researchers from a range of different disciplines to study religious relics. The new Oxford initiative will launch today at Keble College’s Advanced Studies Centre (ASC). Relics are objects that survive from ancient times, often associated with a saint’s body or their belongings, and usually kept as objects of historical interest or spiritual devotion. The University of Oxford is set to become a world-leading centre in the study of ancient Christian relics. ![]()
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