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Shroud of Turin may have Indian origin, DNA analysis suggests

Researchers found that nearly 40% of the human DNA came from Indian lineages, while the latest analysis could not date the shroud.

  • DNA analysis suggests the linen yarn used to make the Turin Shroud may have originated in the Indus Valley of India, according to a new study posted in Biorxiv.
  • The Turin Shroud, measuring about 4.4m long and 1.1m wide, is currently housed in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, and was first documented in France in 1354.
  • Researchers found that 38.7 per cent of the overall human genomic data comes from Indian lineages, a result potentially linked to historical interactions involving the importing of linen from India.
  • Intense handling of the Turin Shroud over the years left traces of skin bacteria including Cutibacterium and Staphylococcus, while scientists identified DNA from various animals and plants contaminating the fabric.
  • Since the Turin Shroud has come into contact with multiple individuals, identifying its "original DNA" remains challenging, researchers say, and the latest analysis does not help determine the fabric's age.
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Although it has been considered one of the most controversial Christian relics for centuries, the latest genetic analyzes of the Shroud of Turin further complicate the story of its origins - and cut across the worlds of science, history and mythology.

·Belgrade, Serbia
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NewScientist broke the news in Baltimore, United States on Monday, March 30, 2026.
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