The Associated Press reported that according to the researchers who used state-of-the-art tests to learn the truth about the fake relic, a rib bone purported to be from Joan of Arc is actually from an Egyptian mummy.
The rib bone was dated to between the seventh and third centuries B.C. The scientists also discovered pine pollen, probably from resin used in Egyptian embalming. In medieval times, powdered mummy remains were used as medication.
According to the Associated Press, the bone was purported to have been recovered after Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen, France, in 1431. In 1909, some researchers announced that it was "very probably" that the rib bone came from Joan of Arc, who was beatified that same year and canonized as a saint in 1920 by the Roman Catholic Church.
It is very likely that the rib bone was touted as coming from Joan of Arc to improve her recognition by the church, indicated the study team leader Philippe Charlier. The discovery that the bone was a bogus was first reported in the journal Nature.
