A new DNA study of the Shroud of Turin, the ancient linen cloth believed to have wrapped Jesus Christ, has uncovered a dense mix of human, microbial, plant and animal genetic material on the cloth, offering fresh clues about how the relic was handled and stored over the centuries.
The research, led by Gianni Barcaccia of the University of Padova in Italy and posted on “bioRxiv,” paints a detailed picture of a fabric shaped by repeated contact with people and the environment.
Researchers analyzed DNA from linen strands collected in 1978 from different parts of the Shroud. They found several human mitochondrial DNA lineages.
One of them, known as K1a1b1a, matched the genetic profile of the official collector from 1978. That finding suggests some of the strongest human DNA signals came from modern handling during sampling.
Shroud of Turin DNA study tracks human contact
The team also detected other lineages, including H1b, which is common in Western Eurasia, and H33, which is more often linked to the Near East and is frequent among the Druze.
The study says those traces point to contact with more than one person over time. At the same time, the authors say the mixed and contaminated nature of the DNA makes it impossible to identify any single original source.
The Shroud’s microbiome also showed heavy signs of handling and storage conditions. Researchers found bacteria commonly linked to human skin, including “Cutibacterium” and “Staphylococcus.”
They also found salt-loving archaea and fungi, including molds and yeasts that can survive in dry, salty conditions. The study says those organisms may reflect the environments in which the cloth was preserved.
Microbes and storage left strong marks on the cloth
Plant and animal DNA added another layer. The analysis found traces tied to red coral from the Mediterranean, along with cultivated plants such as carrot, wheat, corn, bananas and peanuts.
It also identified DNA from domesticated animals including cattle, pigs, chickens, dogs and cats. The authors say those findings likely reflect environmental contamination that built up across centuries.
The study also included radiocarbon dating of two threads taken from the reliquary, rather than the main cloth. Those threads dated to periods that overlap with known repairs in 1534 and 1694, after the Shroud was damaged and later stabilized.
The researchers draw a cautious conclusion. The genetic evidence shows the Shroud has a complex biological history and has been exposed to many people and environments. But the study says metagenomic testing cannot determine the age of the Shroud itself or prove whether it dates to the time of Jesus or to the medieval period.
That still doesn’t settle the long-running debate over whether the cloth once wrapped Jesus, but it does offer a sharper view of the traces left behind on one of the world’s most debated religious relics, leaving the central mystery very much unresolved.
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