Catholic World News
New DNA research confirms Shroud of Turin’s passage through the Middle East
April 07, 2026
» Continue to this story on Vatican News
CWN Editor's Note: DNA research on the Shroud of Turin “suggests the likelihood that the cloth passed through the Middle East,” according to a summary of new research provided by Vatican News, the news agency of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication.
The principal author of the research was Gianni Barcaccia, professor of Genetics and Genomics at the University of Padua. She and her coauthors wrote:
Over 55.6% of the human DNA corresponds to lineages from the Near East, while Western European lineages account for less than 5.6%. The presence of 38.7% of the overall human genomic data from Indian lineages is unexpected and is potentially linked to historical interactions associated with importing linen or yarn from regions near the Indus Valley.The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
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