Scholars Refute Bas-Relief Hypothesis Questioning the Shroud of Turin
His hypothesis was published on February 9 in the journal Archaeometry (University of Oxford). Moraes claimed that the visible contact points on the shroud corresponded more closely to those of a flat relief or sculpted figure than to a human body wrapped in cloth.
He added that the shroud likely originated in the Middle Ages rather than in the time of Christ.
Despite his confident rhetoric, Moraes did not prove his theory by reproducing a shroud, even with modern technology, let alone medieval methods.
Methodological Flaws and Overlooking Key Elements
His claims have sparked strong criticism from several researchers. Tristan Casabianca, Emanuela Marinelli and Alessandro Piana have pointed at methodological flaws.
They argue that Moraes' modelling is anatomically insufficient because it only reproduces the frontal view, reverses the position of the hands and feet from left to right, and arbitrarily assumes a body height of 1.8 metres.
Furthermore, they state that his model disregards the shroud's most significant features, including the numerous confirmed bloodstains.
According to the researchers, these characteristics cannot be reconciled with any known medieval artistic technique.
They also stress that various versions of the bas-relief hypothesis had already been examined and rejected in academic journals in the early 1980s.
Cardinal Roberto Repole of Turin warned against drawing superficial conclusions. He sees no reason to respond to loosely formulated hypotheses.
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