It occupies a privileged site between liturgical ornaments and for several reasons. For centuries It has been considered a “life test” of Jesus: shows the image of a man with crucifixion woundsboth frontally and dorsally. It measures approximately 4.42 meters long by 1.13 meters wide. This is the Holy Southeet of Turin and is also famous for its mysterious origin.
How and when it was manufactured has been the subject of debate between scientists, historians and religious leaders. The two most outstanding theories are that it was created as an art work during medieval era or that it was a piece of linen that wrapped the body of Jesus Christ After his death more than 2000 years ago.
However, radiocarbon dating carried out in a 1989 study on Turin’s holy finger dated him between 1260 and 1390, which coincides with medieval theory. Subsequently, in 2005, a team led by Raymond Rogers argued that the show analyzed by radiocarbon dating came from an area that had been repaired and, therefore, was more recent than the original fabric.
More recently, in 2022, a single thread was analyzed with a new method (and something controversial) Based on the X -ray dispersion of wide angle (Waxs), which claimed that the shroud dated the 1st century. C. If these results are reliable, the fabric would be closer to the time of Jesus.
Another study, this in 2018, examined blood patterns in the shroud and considered them incompatible with what would expect a deceased man lying down. In fact, the authors They affirmed that these blood patterns were “totally unreal”. This led to the idea that blood could have been added to the shroud in a more artistic way after its creation.
Now, a new study has used 3D modeling to provide more evidence to the debate. The study compares digital impressions of a three -dimensional human figure and an artistic representation in bas -relief of a human on a flat sheet. The idea is that when a 3D object is wrapped with a 2D sheet, like a piece of cloth, the resulting footprint is distorted and seems much wider than when you look directly at the 3D object.
The digital footprint on the 2D surface, projected on the 3D human figure, It appeared widened and distorted, as expected, unlike the royal turin fingerprint. Instead, the model in Bajorrelieve produced a much more coherent footprint with the real appearance of the shroud.
“The contact pattern generated by the Bajorrelieve It is more compatible with the image of the shroud, showing a lower anatomical distortion and greater loyalty to the observed contourswhile the projection of a 3D body results in a significantly distorted image, ”says the study leader, Cicero Moraes.
While this study It does not provide specific information about the dating of the shroud of Turinit does support the idea that it was an artistic representation. Bajorrelieve art was also common during medieval era, so this type of creation corresponds to what could have been done at that time.
Moraes encourages others to test free and accessible software used in the study to replicate the results or deepen other historical curiosities.
“This work not only offers another perspective on the origin of the image of the Holy Southeet of Turin -Moraes concludes -but also It also highlights the potential of digital technologies to address or unravel historical mysteriesintertwining science, art and technology in a collaborative and reflective search for answers ”.