Isotope Measurements and Provenance Studies of the Shroud of Turin

The findings and conclusions of the 1978 investigation of the Shroud of Turin are reviewed, and a proposal for additional research that was submitted in 1984 is described. The research proposal centers primarily on two experiments: radiocarbon dating and the proposed measurements of the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic concentrations in the textile cellulose. The discussion of the dating experiment focuses on the history of attempts to perform the test during the past decade. That of stable isotope measurements treats the technical aspects of the method and their implications for locating the geographical origin of the Shroud.