Further experiments and remarks regarding the possible formation of blood stains on the Turin Shroud: stains attributed to the nailing of the hands

Abstract

AbstractThe formation of red discolorations (‘blood stains’) on the Turin Shroud (TS), a Christian relic believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth, is controversially discussed. We performed experiments to identify possible explanations for the formation of the stains on the hands and forearms of the Turin Shroud Man (TSM). In preliminary non-standardised experiments, after applying blood to the dorsal and palmar side of the probands’ wrists, they moved their arms around at their own discretion to provoke blood flows as similar as possible to those on the TS. A blood stain pattern similar to that on the left wrist could be provoked by slowly turning the wrist to the ulnar side. In contrast, a branched pattern of multiple streaks, as depicted on the forearms, was difficult to reproduce. In a standardised test setup, the probands moved their dry, dirtied, or oiled arms jerkily in a predetermined sequence of movements. More body hair only slightly facilitated the formation of a branched pattern. On oiled skin, however, the formation of branches was significantly facilitated. This may support the hypothesis that the blood stains on the forearms were formed by moving the body between the unnailing and the burial. The formation of a branched pattern seems feasible if the arms were moved jerkily and were possibly exposed to water and oils postmortem (e.g. transporting the washed and oiled body). Nevertheless, the well-defined blood stains with multiple branchings are difficult to explain. Additionally, the blood stains on the forearms may have originated from deep scourging wounds, where dried blood was again mobilised by water (and oil). We are aware that no reliable conclusions about the formation of the ‘blood stains’ on the TS can be drawn from our findings. However, they may contribute to the discussion on this topic.