New Research Indicates Shroud of Turin Marked With Torture Victim's Blood
A forensic research of the mysterious Shroud of Turin sheds new light on its authenticity amid claims of forgery. New atomic resolution examination indicates that the linen cloth believed to have been used to wrap Jesus' body after crucifixion shows signs of blood from a torture victim.
The findings were made using electron microscopy and X-ray analysis, indicating that traces of blood contain chemical markers that are typical of people who have been tortured. More specifically, nano or very small particles attached to the linen fibers "have recorded a scenario of great suffering."
Researchers compared the results of the atomic resolution analysis and recent medical studies on patients who suffered multiple acts of trauma and torture. The nano particles showed high levels of creatinine and ferritin, which are found in victims who suffered forceful multiple traumas like torture.
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"These findings could only be revealed by the methods recently developed in the field of electron microscopy," said Elvio Carlino, a researcher at the Institute of Crystallography, referring to the nanoscale study of the particles ranging from one to 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth the length of a meter.
The research marked the first study of "the nanoscale properties of a pristine fiber taken from the Turin Shroud," he added. The findings contradict claims that the 14 by 3.5-foot shroud was a medieval forgery and that the image was just painted, although the Catholic Church has not taken an official position on the relic's authenticity.
The study said the markings on the shroud cannot be a product of ancient dye pigments as they have bigger sizes and tend to aggregate. "[I]t is highly unlikely that the eventual ancient artist would have painted a fake by using the hematic serum of someone after a heavy polytrauma," it added.
The shroud has been on display at the royal chapel of Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy since the 17th century. Detailed study of the cloth began in 1898, but scientists haven't agreed on the time of the shroud's origins despite the more powerful tools and methods applied recently.
