Carbon Dating Contaminated by Medieval Repair. 1988 carbon dating was performed on samples from the top left corner of the Shroud Three laboratories (Oxford, Zurich, Arizona) independently dated samples to c. 700 years old The top left corner is one of the worst areas to carbon date due to centuries of handling
The 1988 carbon dating used samples from the Raes' corner — one of the worst spots due to centuries of handling. A 1532 fire led nuns to repair this section with rewoven fibers. Textile experts identified medieval repair threads woven into the original fabric. A 2017 paper argues there's enough evidence to question the 1988 results.
Key Facts
- 1988 carbon dating was performed on samples from the top left corner of the Shroud
- Three laboratories (Oxford, Zurich, Arizona) independently dated samples to c. 700 years old
- The top left corner is one of the worst areas to carbon date due to centuries of handling
- After a 1532 fire, nuns repaired the Shroud and likely rewove the top section
- A textile expert identified where medieval repair fibers were woven into original fabric
- A 2017 paper concluded there is enough evidence to throw the 1988 carbon dating into contention
- Herringbone weave evidence dates to 600 BC in Ireland and was used by ancient Egyptians
Source: New Evidence for Dating the Shroud of Turin! by Funny Olde World