Historical records show that Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, was buried in Aachen Cathedral on the same day he died - Jan. 28, 814 AD. Relics containing what is said to be Charlemagne's bones have been on display at the treasury in the Aachen Cathedral and a new study suggests that the bones are indeed of the renowned Carolingian emperor.
In his short 13 year rule as an emperor, Charlemagne was able to lay the foundations of the first real empire in Europe since the collapse of the Roman Empire. The emperor died at the age of 71 shortly after falling ill with pleurisy. Charlemagne's tomb remained untouched until the year 1000 AD when it was opened by Emperor Otto III. It was only in 1988 that scientists started examining the contents of Charlemagne's tomb.
A team of scientists from Germany and Switzerland have been studying the bones contained in a golden casket for the past 26 years. While the identification process has been long and tedious, the scientists working on the bones have reached a conclusion that it is highly likely the bones belonged to Charlemagne.
"The bones appear to belong to a single individual, an old and rather tall man. This matches contemporary descriptions of Charlemagne," said Frank Rühli from the Univeristy of Zurich Center for Evolutionary Medicine.
Taking note of the size of the skeleton, Charlemagne was remarkably tall for his time. The scientists said that the emperor's height may have played a role in cementing his legacy as Charles the Great.
While many people have long assumed that the bones found at the Aachen Cathedral do indeed belong to Charlemagne, the story is more complicated than it seems. The problem lies in the fact that the emperor's remains have been repeatedly exhumed and reburied over the years. Moreover, many of the bones and body parts also changed hands repeatedly over the past 1,200 years since his death. The circumstances regarding the relics associated with Charlemagne have made it very difficult for researchers to determine the authenticity of these items.
The scientists announced their findings on Tuesday, Feb. 4, in commemoration of Charlemagne's 1,200 year death anniversary.
