The most important Research Results
Forensic scientists state that the image on the shroud is clearly the portraiture of a cruelly treated and crucified person. There is no anatomic detail which would not fit.
The blood-stains are of real humane blood of the type AB.
Painters state that there are no traces of strokes of brushes. There are no traces of color, pigments or other substances, which point to a painting.
Textile experts state that the type of weaving was practiced in the ancient world in the middle east.
There have been found many pollens of plants only growing on the places known from the history of the shroud. There have been discovered also traces of images of plants and flowers, which appear in this ensemble only in the vicinity of Jerusalem. The flowers are corresponding to the pollens found.
On both eyes traces of coins have been discovered, which have been coinaged by Pilate in the years 29 and 31.
Prof. Whanger found traces of images of other objects, like an amulet, a Roman spear, a tongs, a hammer, a nail and a scourge. All correspond to objects in use in the first century Palestine.
During the STURP-research in the seventies in the area of the feet significant amounts of street-dust was found. No medieval faker would have taken into consideration such details.
The image results from an allocation of well identified chemical substances (reduced sacharides) which give the impression of a photo. The effect is the result of the fact that the amount of chemical substance formed on a certain spot depended directly on the distance between body and cloth on the particular point (the closer the larger the ammount formed). With the help of a computer it is possible, to produce threedimensional images.
The forming of the image itself was an enigma for scientists for a long time (and for many researchers it is still today). This was stated in the final report of the STURP research project:
"We can conclude for now that the Shroud image is that of a real human form of a scourged, crucified man. It is not the product of an artist. The blood stains are composed of hemoglobin and also give a positive test for serum albumin. The image is an ongoing mystery and until further chemical studies are made, perhaps by this group of scientists, or perhaps by some scientists in the future, the problem remains unsolved." (source)