Genetic Study Suggests Shroud of Turin Yarn from India

A new genetic analysis of the Shroud of Turin has revealed traces of DNA suggesting the linen cloth's yarn may have originated in India, while also uncovering a complex history of contamination from humans, animals, plants and microbes over centuries.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Padova in Italy, examined samples collected from the 4.4-meter-long and 1.1-meter-wide relic in 1978. The findings, detailed in a preprint posted on bioRxiv, indicate that about 40 percent of the human mitochondrial DNA on the shroud traces to Indian lineages. This unexpected prevalence points to possible historical trade routes or Roman imports of linen from regions near the Indus Valley, according to the researchers. The shroud, which bears a faint image of a crucified man and is venerated by many as the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, is housed in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. It was first documented in France in 1354.

The analysis identified a diverse array of genetic material, reflecting extensive handling and environmental exposure. Human DNA included lineages common in Western Eurasia, such as H1b, and others prevalent in the Near East, like H33, which...