Shroud of Turin 'up to 3,000 years old'

The Shroud of Turin, believed by some to be Christ's burial cloth, is much older than previously thought, according to a new study.

Research published in peer-reviewed science journal, Thermochimica Acta, casts new light on the Shroud's origins, suggesting it is between 1,300 and 3,000 years old.

The paper confidently contradicts radiocarbon tests carried out in the 1980s which concluded that the linen sheet was a medieval fake dating from between 1260 and 1390.

Author, Dr Raymond Rogers, said the carbon dating test was valid but that the piece tested was the size of a postage stamp and came from a patch, woven in to repair fire damage.

"We're darned sure that part of the cloth was not original Shroud of Turin cloth," he said.

"The radiocarbon sample has completely different chemical properties than the main part of the shroud relic."

Dr Rogers, a retired chemist from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, US, said the threads in the patched portion contained cotton and had been dyed to match. The main part of the shroud is pure linen.

The fabric bears the faint image of a blood-covered man, and many believe it was used to bury Jesus after his crucifixion.

The shroud has been damaged in several fires since it was first discovered in France in 1357 and scientists believe it has been patched by nuns.

Tom D'Muhala, president of the American Shroud of Turin Association for Research, said the "conclusive" evidence, gathered over the past two years, was proof the shroud was older than previously thought.

"It proves that the sample used to date the shroud was actually taken from an expertly-done rewoven patch," he said.

"Chemical testing indicates that the linen shroud is actually very old - much older than the published 1988 radiocarbon date." The microchemical tests revealed the presence of a chemical called vanillin in the radiocarbon sample but not the rest of the shroud.

"The fact that vanillin cannot be detected in the lignin on shroud fibres, Dead Sea Scrolls linen and other very old linens indicates that the shroud is quite old," wrote Mr Rogers.

"A determination of the kinetics of vanillin loss suggests the shroud is between 1,300 and 3,000 years old."