The Shroud of Turin: An Overview of the Archaeological Scientific Studies

The Shroud of Turin attracts consistently the interest of both the scientific community and the general public, as many believe that it is the burial cloth of Christ. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the relevant scientific research addressing two key questions: (i) how were th...

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Main Author: Ioannis Karapanagiotis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Textiles
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/5/1/8
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author Ioannis Karapanagiotis
author_facet Ioannis Karapanagiotis
author_sort Ioannis Karapanagiotis
collection DOAJ
description The Shroud of Turin attracts consistently the interest of both the scientific community and the general public, as many believe that it is the burial cloth of Christ. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the relevant scientific research addressing two key questions: (i) how were the image of the human body and the bloodstains formed on the Shroud? (ii) What is the age of the Shroud? The answer to the first question remains a mystery, and the article explores the most promising hypotheses. Consequently, the scientific community should have another opportunity in the near future, similar to that of the 1978 STURP campaign, to study the object. The 1989 radiocarbon dating of the Shroud, which addressed the second question and suggested that the linen cloth dates to the 14th century AD, is discussed in light of hypotheses and experimental studies that have raised concerns and objections about the Shroud’s possible medieval origin. It is concluded that the evidence from the significant reports published to date, which challenge the radiocarbon dating, is insufficient to overturn its finding. However, extracting new samples from different parts of the object to perform a second series of radiocarbon dating measurements is suggested.
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spelling doaj-art-be0b1e7737474bf29c6ddf2ede759ecd2025-08-20T03:43:58ZengMDPI AGTextiles2673-72482025-02-0151810.3390/textiles5010008The Shroud of Turin: An Overview of the Archaeological Scientific StudiesIoannis Karapanagiotis0School of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceThe Shroud of Turin attracts consistently the interest of both the scientific community and the general public, as many believe that it is the burial cloth of Christ. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the relevant scientific research addressing two key questions: (i) how were the image of the human body and the bloodstains formed on the Shroud? (ii) What is the age of the Shroud? The answer to the first question remains a mystery, and the article explores the most promising hypotheses. Consequently, the scientific community should have another opportunity in the near future, similar to that of the 1978 STURP campaign, to study the object. The 1989 radiocarbon dating of the Shroud, which addressed the second question and suggested that the linen cloth dates to the 14th century AD, is discussed in light of hypotheses and experimental studies that have raised concerns and objections about the Shroud’s possible medieval origin. It is concluded that the evidence from the significant reports published to date, which challenge the radiocarbon dating, is insufficient to overturn its finding. However, extracting new samples from different parts of the object to perform a second series of radiocarbon dating measurements is suggested.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/5/1/8cultural heritagearchaeologyarchaeometryshroud of TurinChristJesus
spellingShingle Ioannis Karapanagiotis
The Shroud of Turin: An Overview of the Archaeological Scientific Studies
Textiles
cultural heritage
archaeology
archaeometry
shroud of Turin
Christ
Jesus
title The Shroud of Turin: An Overview of the Archaeological Scientific Studies
title_full The Shroud of Turin: An Overview of the Archaeological Scientific Studies
title_fullStr The Shroud of Turin: An Overview of the Archaeological Scientific Studies
title_full_unstemmed The Shroud of Turin: An Overview of the Archaeological Scientific Studies
title_short The Shroud of Turin: An Overview of the Archaeological Scientific Studies
title_sort shroud of turin an overview of the archaeological scientific studies
topic cultural heritage
archaeology
archaeometry
shroud of Turin
Christ
Jesus
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/5/1/8
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