Scientists have offered a tantalising clue by dating a bone said to belong to St. Nicholas, the inspiration for Father Christmas, to the same century in which he died in what is now Turkey. Oxford University researchers analysed a micro-sample of a pelvis fragment using radiocarbon dating techniques and found that it dated back to the fourth century. “This bone fragment, in contrast, suggests that we could possibly be looking at remains from St. Nicholas himself,” Mr. Higham said. The actual bone fragment analysed is owned by Father Dennis O’Neill, a priest based in the U.S. state of Illinois. St. Nicholas is thought to have lived in Myra, near the modern-day Turkish town of Demre.

Source: The Hindu December 06, 2017 16:34 UTC