Analysis of ancient fabrics, example of the Holy Shroud in Turin

As it is not always simple to perform a systematic study on an ancient textile considering the complexity of the various techniques that can be applied, this paper considers as an example, the case of the HS (Holy Shroud), discussing the recent tests applied to it with relative results. After a brief presentation of the textile and an explanation of its complexity, the paper presents some tests and results obtained from 1978. The dark spots present in the fabric, attributable to the image of a man, add interesting information regarding its possible origin. The dating problem is discussed by comparing the information coming from the tradition with the contradictory result provided by the radiocarbon test performed in 1988 and other new dating results produced by innovative techniques. The dusts vacuumed from the HS, employed to perform a study of the human DNA coming from external contamination, provide an interesting hypothesis of the relic’s origin; in addition, among these dusts, electrum microparticles, provide an interesting hypothesis on Byzantine customs. Finally, the problems related to the conservation of the textile are also considered. This example shows how it is possible to obtain from a textile interesting scientific results and confirmations of previous historical hypotheses.