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Is the famous “Shroud of Turin” fake?. | Credit: Philip Lisak via Getty Images
The Shroud of Turin, which some people claim is the burial cloth of Jesus, contains the DNA of many people, as well as a vast array of other species, including carrots, melons and red coral.
of something DNA The traces suggest there is an influence from India, which means the fabric may have originated there, researchers argue in a new study.
However, there was a notable absence of species traditionally associated with the Levant region and stories in the Bible. Furthermore, some of the plant species discovered in the Shroud did not arrive in the Old World until the 16th century, suggesting that the Shroud was contaminated centuries later, experts told Live Science.
Overall, the scientific evidence still strongly supports the arguments The Shroud of Turin is a medieval forgeryThey said.
Probably fake
The famous Shroud has traveled around Europe for centuries, but the first documented mention of the Shroud was in 1354 in Lire, a village in northern France, and even then, there was debate as to whether it was an authentic relic. Crucifixion. The oblong cloth measures 14.4 x 3.6 feet (4.4 x 1.1 m) and bears the faint image of a man and several stains, some of which are claimed to be blood.
The strongest evidence for the age of the Shroud comes from a Carbon dating Analysis was done in 1989which places the manufacture of the Shroud between 1260 and 1390 firmly in the medieval period. And last year, work revealed that the human image on the Shroud is likely due to the fabric Placed in low-relief sculpture.
Some Christian scholars still believe the Shroud is real and 2,000 years old. Yet there is no evidence that the multishaft looms needed to make Shroud-type cloth existed in Europe, India, or the Levant region before 2,000 years ago.
“These structures require a loom with four shafts invented in the Middle Ages [in Europe]” Andrea NicollottiA historian at the University of Turin who was not involved in the work told Live Science.
DNA analysis
In 2015, Gianni BarcacciaA professor of genetics and genomics at the University of Padova in Italy and his colleagues suggested that The Shroud of Turin may have been made in IndiaBased on genetic analysis of samples collected from the shroud in 1978.
More powerful genomics techniques are now available, so Barcasia and his colleagues performed new DNA and metagenomic analysis on samples from 1978 to determine which species the DNA came from. The research was posted on the preprint server bioRxiv March 22 and has not yet been peer-reviewed.
The researchers found human DNA that appeared to come from several people, including one who collected the samples in 1978. Bacterial species contribute 10% to 31% of DNA. Barkasia’s team studied Mediterranean red coral (Red coral), which suggests a “Mediterranean origin or transit through Mediterranean regions”.
Even if the coral came from a specific place, that doesn’t mean the Shroud was there, Nicollotti said. “The red coral might make people think of the sea in Palestine,” he said, adding that the most likely scenario was how the coral ended up in the Shroud. “It makes me think that coral was placed in contact with crucifixes and rosaries, or cloth as we know it.”
Barcaccia’s team found that about 44% of the animal DNA was from cats and dogs, but there were also traces from chickens, cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, horses, deer and rabbits. In addition, the skin had light traces of mites, ticks and an assortment of fish.
We are convinced that this diversity of identified animal and plant species highlights the significant environmental pollution of the Shroud in recent centuries, especially following the voyages of Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus.
Gianni Barcaccia, Professor of Genetics and Genomics at the University of Padova, Italy
Plant species were also abundantly represented. Carrot DNA provides about 31% of the plant’s DNA. But there is also DNA from wheat, corn, rye, chili, tomatoes, potatoes, melons or cucumbers, and peanuts, as well as grass, bananas, almonds, walnuts, and oranges.
Some of these plants may reflect specific agricultural practices in Europe and the Mediterranean, the study authors wrote, but those plants, such as bananas, potatoes, peppers and tomatoes, were brought to Europe mainly from the Americas in the 16th century and later. And the carrot’s DNA is genetically similar to cultivars produced from orange carrots grown in Western Europe between the 15th and 16th centuries, suggesting relatively recent contamination, Barcasia told Live Science via email.
“We are convinced that this diversity of animal and plant species identified highlights the significant environmental contamination of the Shroud in recent centuries, especially after the voyages of Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus,” he said.
Notably, some species historically associated with the Mediterranean region were lacking.
“The vast range of animal and plant material does not seem to be indicative of any particular environment, but I note the absence of olives, dates, pomegranates, camels, and of course myrrh and aloes.” Hugh wentA freelance researcher who runs a blog is called The Medieval Shroud and was not involved in the work, told Live Science via email.
I try to imagine all the tools used by American scholars in 1978 and how many people touched the Shroud, and who made the brushes used to dust the Shroud.
Andrea Nicollotti, historian of the University of Turin
Human DNA can be transferred to an object or without touching itAnd it’s similar to the DNA of other animals and plants, many traces of which may have ended up in the Shroud due to public display in medieval cities. “All the vegetables make me think of the 100 meter market [330 feet] From the square where public expositions were held in Turin for centuries, or from the dust of the Chamberi when the Shroud was displayed in the tree-lined avenue,” said Nicollotti.
Researchers dated two threads on the Shroud, one between 1451 and 1622 and the other between 1642 and 1800. These dates correspond to when the Shroud was repaired in 1534, long after it had been damaged by fire, and in 1694 when further conservation work was undertaken by crews.
Importantly, none of the new findings contradict a definitive carbon-dating analysis done in 1989, Nicollotti said.
Related stories
– The Shroud of Turin was not placed on the body of Jesus, but rather a sculpture, modeling studies suggest
– When was Jesus born?
– Relief of the Holy Crib: Relic of Jesus’ manger from Bethlehem
However, what is more controversial is the explanation by Barkakia and colleagues that about 40% of the human DNA found in the Shroud is of Indian ancestry, “the possibility that the yarn was produced in India”.
Nicollotti does not think the Shroud could have come from India and believes it is a forgery originating in medieval Europe, as carbon dating from 1989 indicates. He is also not surprised to find traces of human DNA in the clothes.
“I try to imagine how many people may have touched the Shroud, all the tools used by American scholars in 1978, and who may have touched and made the brushes used to dust the Shroud,” he said.
