DNA on the Holy Shroud reveals clues about the relic’s history

The study was published in July in the scientific journal Scientific Reports, in July this year, and analyzed official samples collected from the Shroud in 1978.

The research, however, does not determine the age of the tissue. What the scientists did was use modern forensic genetics tools to investigate the biological imprints accumulated during the Shroud’s contact with people and environments over time.

“The Shroud represents a rich archive of genetic information that has accumulated over centuries of human interaction and environmental exposure,” said Noemi Procopio, professor of Forensic Science at the University of Lancashire, in the United Kingdom, in a statement about the research.

DNA in the Holy Shroud has human genetic material and a diverse microbiome

The analysis identified different lineages of human mitochondrial DNA. Among them are K1a1b1a, H2a2, H1b and H33, which have distinct distributions among populations from Western Eurasia and the Middle East.

One of the results requires special attention. The K1a1b1a lineage identified in three samples was also found in the genetic material of Pierluigi Baima Bollone, a professor and doctor who participated in the collection of the Shroud in 1978. Kinship analysis indicated a close relationship between the DNAs found in the three samples and the collector’s genome.

The finding illustrates one of the main difficulties in genetic analysis of the Holy Shroud: distinguish ancient traces from those left by people who later touched, examined, or manipulated the fabric.

The researchers found signs compatible with modern DNA and emphasize that accumulated human contact makes it difficult to identify a possible original genetic signature.

In addition to human DNA, a microbiome formed by bacteria, fungi and archaea was reconstructed. Among bacteria, species frequently associated with human skin appear. Archaea mainly belong to groups capable of tolerating high concentrations of salt.

According to Andrea Squartini, a researcher at the University of Padua, “a rich microbiome” was identified, with skin microorganisms and communities adapted to saline environments.

Mediterranean plants, animals and coral in Holy Shroud DNA sample

The biological diversity found in tissue also extends to the plant kingdom. The researchers identified genetic material from carrots, wheat, corn, bananas and peanuts, as well as other cultivated species, such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and fruits.

The carrot presented one of the most abundant signals among the identified plants. The study points out that the traces found are genetically closer to ancient varieties developed in Western Europe, which may indicate relatively recent contamination.

Domestic animals were also identified. Dogs and cats appeared among the main groups, accompanied by chickens and cattle, as well as pigs, horses, deer and rabbits. Traces of rats and mice were also found and may be related to environmental contamination.

One of the most striking finds was red coral DNA (Corallium rubrum), a species endemic to the Mediterranean. “We detected DNA from red coral endemic to the Mediterranean,” said Giovanni Gabelli, a researcher at the University of Padua, when presenting the results.

The presence of these species does not necessarily mean that the tissue has come into direct contact with each of them. The researchers consider the possibility of secondary contamination, in which genetic material reaches the Shroud through people who have had contact with animals, plants or other objects.

What does DNA reveal about the history of the Shroud?

The set of results suggests that the Shroud was exposed to different people, environments and regions throughout its history. Some of the identified vegetables originate in Asia or the Americas and later arrived in Europe and the Mediterranean, which helps to indicate that part of the contamination occurred in relatively recent periods.

The authors discuss, for example, the presence of species that spread throughout the Old World after the voyages of Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus. The hypothesis can help reconstruct the tissue’s posterior circulation, but does not allow us to determine when or where it was produced.

“This genetic evidence integrates forensic investigations and the historical and radiometric data already available,” said Gianni Barcaccia, professor at the University of Padua and one of the study coordinators. According to him, the results also need to be interpreted with caution because the DNA found represents the overlap of biological signals accumulated over time.

The current research adds to other studies carried out on the Shroud. In 1988, three independent laboratories used radiocarbon dating and arrived at a range from 1260 to 1390, a result interpreted as indicative of medieval origin. The 2026 article itself, however, mentions subsequent questions about the homogeneity of the data used in that analysis and the need for new tests.

There was also a genetic analysis published in 2015 that identified human and plant DNA in tissue samples. The new work uses a different approach:next-generation metagenomic sequencing without PCR amplification, applied to a collection of official samples from 1978. 12 items were analyzed, including linen filaments, dust samples collected by vacuuming and a small biological fragment.

For researchers, this mixture is precisely what makes the object so interesting for science: it allows us to investigate how the piece was handled, preserved and exposed to the environment, even though it is not possible to safely separate any original DNA from everything that was accumulated later.