Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Radiocarbon dating of the Shroud of Turin

Nature volume 337, pages 611–615 (1989)Cite this article

Abstract

Very small samples from the Shroud of Turin have been dated by accelerator mass spectrometry in laboratories at Arizona, Oxford and Zurich. As controls, three samples whose ages had been determined independently were also dated. The results provide conclusive evidence that the linen of the Shroud of Turin is mediaeval.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. La S. Sindone-Ricerche e studi della Commissione di Esperti nominata dall Arcivescovo di Torino, Cardinal Michele Pellegrino, nel 1969 Supplemento Rivista Diocesana Torinese (1976).

  2. Jumper, E. J. et al. in Archaeological Chemistry-III (ed. Lambert, J. B.) 447–476 (Am. chem. Soc., Washington, 1984).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  3. Burleigh, R., Leese, M. N. & Tite, M. S. Radiocarbon 28, 571–577 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Tite, M. S. Nature 332, 482 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Stuiver, M. & Pearson, G. W. Radiocarbon 28, 805–838 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Slota, P. J., Jull, A. J. T., Linick, T. W. & Toolin, L. J. Radiocarbon 29, 303–306 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Vogel, J. S., Nelson, D. E. & Southon, J. R. Radiocarbon 29, 323–333 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Vogel, J. S., Southon, J. R. & Nelson, D. E. Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B29, 50–56 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Linick, T. W., Jull, A. J. T., Toolin, L. J. & Donahue, D. J. Radiocarbon 28, 522–533 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Gillespie, R., Gowlett, J. A. J., Hall, E. T. & Hedges, R. E. M. Archaeometry 26, 15–20 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Suter, M. et al. Nucl. Instrum. Meth. 233[B5], 117–122 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Stuiver, M. & Polach, H. A. Radiocarbon 19, 355–363 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Ward, G. K. & Wilson, S. R. Archaeometry 20, 19–31 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Caulcott, R. & Boddy, R. Statistics for Analytical Chemists (Chapman and Hall, London, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Stuiver, M. & Reimer, P. J. Radiocarbon 28, 1022–1030 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. S. Trumbore

    Present address: Institut für Mittelenergiephysik, ETH-Hönggerberg, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA

    P. E. Damon, B. H. Gore, A. J. T. Jull & L. J. Toolin

  2. Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA

    D. J. Donahue, A. L. Hatheway, T. W. Linick & P. J. Sercel

  3. Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QJ, UK

    C. R. Bronk, E. T. Hall, R. E. M. Hedges, R. Housley, I. A. Law & C. Perry

  4. Institut für Mittelenergiephysik, ETH-H&0uml;nggerberg, Zürich, CH-8093, Switzerland

    G. Bonani & W. Woelfli

  5. Lament-Doherty Geological Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York, 10964, USA

    S. Trumbore

  6. Research Laboratory, British Museum, London, WC1B3DG, UK

    J. C. Ambers, S. G. E. Bowman, M. N. Leese & M. S. Tite

Authors
  1. P. E. Damon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. J. Donahue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. H. Gore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. L. Hatheway
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. J. T. Jull
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. T. W. Linick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. P. J. Sercel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. L. J. Toolin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. C. R. Bronk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. E. T. Hall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. R. E. M. Hedges
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. R. Housley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. I. A. Law
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. C. Perry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  15. G. Bonani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  16. S. Trumbore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  17. W. Woelfli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  18. J. C. Ambers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  19. S. G. E. Bowman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  20. M. N. Leese
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  21. M. S. Tite
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Damon, P., Donahue, D., Gore, B. et al. Radiocarbon dating of the Shroud of Turin. Nature 337, 611–615 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/337611a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/337611a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing