Inadequacies in Serological ABO Typing of Ancient Artifacts: The Shroud of Turin as a Case Example

Abstract

Serological determination of ABO blood type is extremely valuable in evaluation of fresh blood but has major drawbacks in the analysis of aged objects. The Shroud of Turin is a full-size linen cloth bearing the ventral and dorsal images of man containing wounds consistent with scourging and crucifixion. Controversy exists regarding the authenticity and age of the artifact; it has been proposed to be the two-thousand-year-old burial cloth of Jesus, or alternatively, a clever, medieval hoax. During the last public exhibition in 2015, approximately 2 million visitors came to view the cloth for just a few minutes at short distance. It is widely reported that the Shroud bloodstains are blood type AB, based on previous findings that were never published in a peer-reviewed format. Here, the shortfalls of using serological testing for ABO determination of ancient objects are discussed using the Shroud of Turin as a case example. It is determined that the AB designation for the Shroud bloodstains is inconclusive and should be considered as type unknown pending further testing.