The Shroud of Turin

1. The Shroud of Turin Exploring the Mystery Confronting the Controversy

2. McCrone • Image is from iron oxide pigments composing red ocher paint suspended in an animal protein binder • Blood is from vermilion…not blood • The obvious work of an artist

3. Battle of the Chemists Whose science is better? • Dr Alan Adler, Professor of physical and organic chemistry, U. of Penn, Western Connecticut State University World’s leading blood porphyrin expert • Dr John Heller, Professor of internal medicine and medical physics Yale University, New England Inst. • Both are blood chemistry specialists

4. The Chemistry Controversy “In light of our chemical findings, we disagree with these (McCrone’s) conclusions.” “We find his conclusion to be inconsistent with the chemical picture presented. One of the few causes of the body image that CAN be ruled out is a painting.”

5. Adler and Heller Summarized • Twenty two (22) samples analyzed • Six--blood image • Two--body image adjacent to blood marks • Two--body image only • Three--water stain/body image • One --non-image • Four--waterstain/non-image • Two--scorch • Two--backing cloth

6. Procedures “Polarized studies were carried out on specimens only after their removal from the tape and adhering adhesive to prevent misinterpretation due to the optical properties of the tape itself.”

7. Controls • Spanish linen--circa 1700 AD • Coptic linen--circa 350 AD • Pharaoh era linen--circa 1500 BC

8. Incidental Debris • Insect parts, pollen, spores, wax, modern synthetic fibers, red and blue silk, wool • Red and blue silk fibers are on every sample--probably from the backing cloths and borders. • Demonstrates transposition of materials from folding and unfolding of cloth

9. Question Does one particle of vermilion really prove anything?

10. Microscopic Characteristics • At 50X magnification--image is due to yellowed fibrils • At 1000X--two types of red particles are “occasionally present” on the fibrils • Iron oxide and the Shroud image have different spectral characteristics • Iron oxide particles do not account for yellow image

11. More on Iron Oxide • X-rays show iron oxide highly concentrated in the water stain and charred areas • X-rays do not show significant concentration on the body image areas • If present, it does not demonstrate the density required for the image to appear to the unaided eye • Image is not due to inorganic pigments

12. Organic Pigments? • Many organic pigments fluoresce under UV • The body images are non-fluorescing • Using all known organic solvents, the body image color cannot be extracted “We conclude that no material has been added to these yellowed fibrils to produce the color”

13. The Body Image • Fibrils appear uncoated • Body image fibrils test negative for protein to nanogram level--no binder present • Corroded fibril surfaces typical of cellulose degradation from oxidation • Same effect demonstrated on control samples using heat

14. Similar chemistry to a light scorch Physical and spectral properties of the image that can be replicated with control samples: • Corroded appearance of fibrils • Lower tensile strength of image fibrils • Thermally stable • NOT water soluble • Yellowing due to oxidation/dehydration • No matting of fibers

15. Blood Images Major blood areas: • Wounds--wrist, side • Blood flows--small of back • “Scourge” marks from torso and leg • Blood flows on top and back of head

16. Characteristics • Fibrils in blood areas cemented together • Appears as matting even in thin fluid areas • No image visible in thin “serum” areas indicating that such fibrils were sealed and therefore protected from the advanced decomposition reaction

17. Control Samples • Partially clotted blood applied to linen • Left to dry for eighteen months • Samples removed by sticky tape • Same general appearance as Shroud blood samples

18. Blood Chemistry • Red coated fibrils test positive for heme materials and proteins • Thin blood areas test positive for serum albumin • Proteins found only in blood areas--not in image areas--no organic binder present

19. Red Particles • Red coated fibrils dissolve in protease solution indicating blood components • Iron oxide particles--found mostly in water stain areas--do not dissolve • Iron oxide particles are different from blood particles with no evidence of being suspended in a paint binder

20. Iron Particles Three kinds found: • Cellulose bound iron--chelated all over cloth from retting of the flax • Heme bound particles--from blood • Iron oxide--mostly found in water stain margins and charred blood areas

21. Why Iron Oxide? • From charred blood? • From the retting of flax? • Iron oxide present is 99% pure • Same as control samples • Lack of contaminants is inconsistent with claim of being a medieval painting • Medieval paints usually contain manganese, nickel or cobalt above 1% level

22. Random Particles • At least 52 painted copies of the Shroud have been touched to the cloth to achieve “sanctification” of the painting…like signing a baseball card. • Experiments have shown that paint particles will dislodge from the painted copy and get distributed onto the Shroud. • What does one particle of vermilion prove?

23. Summary “We see no evidence for stains or dyes on the body image fibrils at levels that would be evident to the eye.” “To conclude that any of the images were produced by the application of such pigments, they must be shown to be predominantly present and in the appropriate locations.”

24. Last Word on McCrone “McCrone sees at trace levels far below the limits that would provide a visually detectable color evident to the eye. This is entirely consistent with contamination due to the artists who have copied the Shroud”