The Shroud of Turin, the linen sheet bearing the image of a man, may be the product of a bas-relief sculpture rather than direct contact with a human body, according to a 3D simulation analysis. This finding, published in the journal *Archaeometry*, lends credence to the long-held hypothesis that the Shroud is a medieval artifact. Previous research in 1989 had dated the Shroud to between 1260 and 1390 AD.
The Study Published by the Archaeometry Magazine
The Shroud preserved in the Cathedral of Turin, a linen sheet on which the image of a man is visible, is the result of a spined fabric not on a human body, but on a bas-relief sculpture. This is indicated by the 3D simulation published in the Archaeometry magazine, which therefore confirms the hypothesis of a medieval artifact already advanced for some time, starting from the study published in 1989 which dated the Shroud to a period between 1260 and 1390 after Christ.
The Analysis of the Brazilian Expert Cicero Moraes
The analysis was conducted by Brazilian expert Cicero Moraes, known for his 3D reconstructions of historical figures such as Antonio da Padova and Francesco Petrarca. In June 2024, Moraes reconstructed the face of Irhoud, identified as the oldest known Homo sapiens, who lived 315,000 years ago. “The image on the Turin Shroud is more consistent with a bas-relief matrix,” Moraes told Live Science. “Such a matrix could have been made of wood, stone or metal,” he added, “and pigmented, or even heated, only in the contact areas, producing the imprint observed.”
Doubts Stem From 3D Simulation
Moraes utilized 3D simulation tools to compare two distinct scenarios: one where a virtual sheet was draped over a reconstructed human body, and another where it was placed on a bas-relief sculpture. The results indicate that the second scenario closely matches the photographs of the Shroud, whereas the tissue resting on the human body produced a significantly more distorted image.
Italian Expert: “We’ve Known the Truth for Centuries”
Andrea Nicolotti, a professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Turin, concurs with Moraes’ conclusions. However, Nicolotti noted on Skeptic.com that the study’s findings are not entirely new. “Cicero Moraes is right, but his research is not particularly revolutionary,” Nicolotti stated. “For at least four centuries,” he continued, “we have known that the image of the body on the Shroud could not have been created through contact with a three-dimensional body.”
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