New 3D simulation research indicates the image on the Shroud of Turin—a linen cloth housed in Turin Cathedral bearing the likeness of a man—was likely created by draping fabric over a bas-relief sculpture, not a human body. Published in the journal *Archaeometry*, the findings support the long-standing hypothesis that the shroud is a medieval artifact, consistent with 1989 radiocarbon dating placing its origin between 1260 and 1390.
Brazilian expert Cicero Moraes, renowned for 3D facial reconstructions of historical figures like Saint Anthony of Padua and Francesco Petrarca, led the analysis. Moraes recently reconstructed the face of Irhoud, the oldest known *Homo sapiens* dating back 315,000 years. Using 3D simulation tools, Moraes compared two scenarios: one where virtual fabric draped over a reconstructed human body, and another where it covered a bas-relief sculpture.
“The image on the Shroud of Turin is more consistent with a bas-relief matrix,” Moraes stated to Live Science. “Such a matrix could have been made of wood, stone, or metal,” he added, “and pigment applied, or the matrix itself heated, only at the points of contact to produce the observed imprint.” The results showed the bas-relief scenario produced an image almost exactly matching Shroud photographs, while the fabric draped over the human body resulted in significant distortion.
Italian expert Andrea Nicolotti, Professor of Christian History at the University of Turin, concurs with Moraes’ conclusions but notes the study offers no new revelation. “Cicero Moraes is correct, but his research isn’t particularly revolutionary,” Nicolotti told Skeptic.com. “We’ve known for at least four centuries that the bodily image on the Shroud certainly couldn’t have been created through contact with a three-dimensional body.”
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