PALEOGENETICS:
New DNA research confirms Shroud of Turin's passage through the Middle East (Vatican News).
The Holy Shroud of Turin passed through the Middle East, reveals new DNA research in the scientific article authored by Dr. Gianni Barcaccia, Professor of Genetics and Genomics at the University of Padua, along with other researchers. The scientists confirm the presence of a genome predominantly from the Middle East and show that microorganisms thriving in extremely saline environments, such as the Dead Sea, were detected.
For a somewhat different take on the same research, see this Ancient Origins article by Gary Manners:
Shroud of Turin DNA Analysis Reveals Shocking Indian Origins
The latest DNA study of the Shroud of Turin has revealed that nearly 40% of the human genetic material found on the famous linen traces back to Indian lineages, raising the startling possibility that the cloth may have originated in the ancient Indus Valley. ...
The underlying (rather technical) open-access pre-print article in bioRxiv is available here:
DNA Traces on the Shroud of Turin: Metagenomics of the 1978 Official Sample Collection
Gianni Barcaccia, Nicola Rambaldi Migliore, Giovanni Gabelli, Vincenzo Agostini, Fabio Palumbo, Elisabetta Moroni, Valeria Nicolini, Liangliang Gao, Grazia Mattutino, Andrew Porter, Pawel Palmows Noemi Procopio, Ugo A. Perego, Massimo Iorizzo, Timothy F. Sharbel, Pierluigi Baima Bollone, Antonio Torroni, Andrea Squartini, Alessandro Achilli
doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.19.712852
This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review
Abstract
This research provides original insights into the diversity of DNA extracted from samples collected in 1978 from the Turin Shroud, revealing its biological complexity through rigorous DNA and metagenomic analyses. Our findings highlight its preservation conditions and environmental interactions, offering valuable perspectives into the identified genetic variants, which originated from multiple biological sources. Several human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages were identified, including K1a1b1a, which matches the 1978 official collector’s mitogenome, H2a2 (i.e. the lineage of the mtDNA reference sequence rRCS), H1b, which is common in Western Eurasia, and H33, which is prevalent in the Near East and frequent among the Druze. Moreover, the reconstructed microbiome of the Shroud reveals a rich tapestry of multiple microbes commonly found on the human epidermis, as well as archaeal communities adapted to high salinity, and fungi including molds. This is indicative of the Shroud’s preservation conditions over the centuries. Additionally, the presence of abundant Mediterranean endemic red coral, various cultivated plants (e.g. carrot, wheat, corn, bananas, and peanuts) and domesticated animals (e.g. cattle, pigs, chickens, dogs, and cats) provide a fascinating glimpse into the diverse biological sources of the contaminants that have accumulated on the Turin Shroud over time. Finally, radiocarbon dating of two distinct threads collected from the reliquary provides evidence of their use to repair the Shroud in the years 1534 and 1694 of the Common Era (CE).
Noted for information. I emphasize that this is a pre-print article. It has not undergone peer review or been accepted for publication anywhere. There is no guarantee that it will be. I myself am not qualified to evaluate its contents. Probably you aren't either. Let's just see what happens.
For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Shroud of Turin, some of which note arguments in favor of or against its authenticity, start here and follow the links. The vast majority of scholarship views it as a medieval forgery.
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