heir results were published in 1981, over 150,000 scientific man hours had been employed in the research and analysis. The research continues today. The Shroud has become the most thoroughly examined relic or artifact in the history of man. In 1988 the cloth was carbon dated to the 13th century. Recent research now questions the validity of those tests. No other artifact has received as much scientific focus as the Shroud and yet it remains a mystery. Some believe it to be a medieval hoax, yet the Shroud image and all of its uniqueness cannot be duplicated by any known physical process. Although carbon dated to the Middle Ages it seems even more incredible that someone from that era could have artificially produced this remarkable image which has defied a scientific solution. Public interest in the Shroud rests entirely on the possibility of its authenticity. For the skeptic, carbon dating may have already provided the answer. But for those who seek a genuine solution to this "Riddle of the Ages", carbon dating only compounds the mystery. Despite a Medieval carbon age, there are many that say there is more to the story…” (Grolier Interactive Encyclopedia CD, 98.) In other sources, “the Shroud was carbon dated by three laboratories as being only 700 to 800 years old. This now poses the greatest dilemma for the proponents of the Shroud. The Shroud cannot be explained in a medieval context, because it presupposes medical, artistic. And historical knowledge of crucifixion practices totally unknown in the Middle Ages. It also contradicts other documentation pointing to a Middle East origin between 29 to 33 AD. The validity of the C-14 tests is now being seriously questioned due to issues of improper protocol such as relying only on one sample site for the text, the possible contamination of the sample, carbon enrichment due to the 1532 fire, or even the possibility of having dated a re-woven part of the Shroud since it was ...
