A new digital analysis of the Shroud of Turin challenges centuries of religious tradition by suggesting the revered relic may be a piece of medieval artwork.

According to New York Post, a recent study led by Brazilian 3D designer Cicero Moraes concludes that the cloth's image, long believed by many to be the burial imprint of Jesus Christ, was more likely created using a shallow relief sculpture and not left by a real human body.

The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth measuring approximately 14.5 feet in length and 3.7 feet in width. It bears the faint image of a man, appearing to be crucified, which has fueled debate for centuries over whether it is the actual burial shroud of Jesus of Nazareth.

The recent analysis was published in the peer-reviewed journal Archaeometry. Moraes used a series of digital tools to model how fabric behaves when draped over different physical forms, aiming to see whether the Shroud's image could have been left by an actual body or an artificial creation.

To conduct the study, Moraes built two separate digital models: one of a full human figure and another simulating a low-relief sculpture. Using simulation software, he digitally "draped" a virtual cloth across both models for comparison.

3D models point to artistic fabrication

After creating high-resolution simulations, Moraes compared the digitally draped fabric over both models to archival photographs of the Shroud taken in 1931. He found significant differences between the results from the full-body model and the image on the actual Shroud.

The digital cloth over the full human model produced distortions and uneven fabric contours, which did not match the Shroud's image. Moraes referred to these visual discrepancies as an example of the “Agamemnon Mask Effect,” a term used to describe unintended distortion caused by impressions over three-dimensional surfaces.

In contrast, when the virtual cloth was draped over the shallow relief sculptural model, the resulting image aligned more closely with what is visible on the Shroud. The folds, contours, and outlines of the digital cloth bore a closer resemblance to the preserved image historically associated with Jesus.

Medieval materials may explain the relic

Moraes theorized that such a low-relief matrix — potentially made from wood, stone, or metal — could have been used to produce the image through direct contact with the cloth. According to his research, either pigment or heat may have been applied selectively to the raised areas of the mold.

“Such a matrix could have been made of wood, stone, or metal and pigmented — or even heated — only in the areas of contact, producing the observed pattern,” Moraes told Livescience. He argued this method would account for the uniformity and proportion of the Shroud's image without the inconsistencies that would be expected from fabric pressed against a full body.

Historical context also supports Moraes’ findings. Radiocarbon dating tests performed in the late 1980s placed the origin of the cloth between 1260 and 1390, a period during which such funerary and religious artworks were commonly produced in Europe.

Researchers remain divided on image origin

Though Moraes’ study bolsters arguments that the Shroud is a medieval creation, not all researchers agree with his interpretation. Professor Giulio Fanti from the University of Padua remains a vocal supporter of the cloth’s authenticity.

Fanti points to what he describes as anatomical evidence and blood patterns found on the Shroud. In his view, these features are too precise and biologically consistent to have been fabricated using traditional artistic methods of the Middle Ages.

He notes, for example, differences in the direction of blood flow from the wound thought to be on the side of the man in the image. Additionally, Fanti claims there is potential evidence of pulmonary fluid and trauma, suggesting the imprint came from someone who experienced physical suffering consistent with crucifixion.

Longstanding debate unlikely to end soon

The Shroud of Turin has long occupied a controversial position in both religious and scientific circles. While it is revered by many Christians, scientists and historians continue to debate its origin and method of creation.

Acknowledging the debate, Moraes emphasized that his research focuses solely on the physical and digital aspects of the cloth’s image. “The Shroud’s image is more consistent with an artistic low-relief representation than with the direct imprint of a real human body,” he said in comments reported by the Daily Mail.

Despite advances in technology, the Shroud’s full story may remain elusive. While digital replications and scientific measurements add new layers to the analysis, differences in interpretation ensure that the cloth will likely continue to stir debate among experts and the public alike.