A new study of the Shroud of Turin reveals a complex tapestry of genetic traces, including plant DNA from carrots and citrus, along with evidence of numerous livestock and human contacts across centuries.



A new study analyzing tiny samples from the Shroud of Turin suggests the much-debated cloth has accumulated traces of plant DNA such as carrots and animal material linked to livestock, although the research does little to clarify its age or resolve the long-standing debate over its origin.

The preprint study published in March on bioRxiv examined samples collected in 1978 from the Shroud, a linen cloth many believe once wrapped the body of Jesus, and that is now preserved at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.

The study found that genetic material recovered from the cloth reveals what researchers describe as a “complex history” shaped by centuries of human contact and environmental exposure.

Scientists found human DNA, noting that “the coexistence of different mtDNA variants confirms that the Shroud came into contact with multiple individuals” – including the researcher who obtained the samples in 1978.

The age of the Shroud, the study said, “cannot be determined through metagenomics” – that is, the study of genetic material collected from environmental samples like dust and fibers – “because this methodology is unable to provide any robust evidence supporting either a Medieval origin or a history dating back two millennia.”

But researchers did find evidence pointing to the Shroud’s geographic journey.

Traces from livestock and domestic animals – such as chickens, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, horses, and even cats and dogs – suggest the Shroud either originated in or passed through Mediterranean regions, the study said.

Plant DNA findings were equally revealing.

The study noted the “very abundant presence” of cultivated crops like carrots and wheat. The presence of DNA from such crops raises questions about when and how the material was deposited.

“Carrot is the most prominent crop plant species identified in the Shroud,” the study said, noting that “wild populations of carrots with white roots have existed in Europe” dating back more than 2,000 years, as described by Pliny the Elder. But “the carrot DNA found on the Shroud is genetically more similar to early cultivars and improved cultivars, which were proven to descend from orange carrot varieties developed in Europe between the 15th and 16th centuries.”

Further, the researchers found traces of plants such as oranges and bananas – crops that didn’t reach the Mediterranean until the Middle Ages. They also detected crops from Mexico and Latin America, such as corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and peanuts, which only spread to Europe after Columbus.

The authors emphasized that genetic profiling cannot determine the Shroud’s age.

“Nevertheless, our findings constitute a novel and significant contribution to the field, thoroughly elucidating the biological traces left by centuries of social, cultural, and ecological engagement.”

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