The Sudarium of Oviedo is a bloodstained cloth kept in Oviedo, Spain and claimed to be the cloth that was wrapped around the head of Jesus of Nazareth after he died. The Sudarium is severely soiled and crumpled, with dark flecks that are symmetrically arranged but form no image, unlike the markings on the Shroud of Turin.
The Sudarium and the Shroud took different routes, as confirmed by forensic palynology (whose evidentiary force is however doubted by many scientific critics). The Sudarium was apparently taken from Palestine in 614, was carried through northern Africa in 616, and arrived in Spain shortly thereafter. There is no evidence of its existence before the 7th century, however. Further, it has been dated to the 7th century by the radio carbon method (Baima Bollone (1994), Book of Acts of the 1st International Congress on the Sudarium of Oviedo, 428-429). However, Bollone indicates that the determination is quite unreliable and other indications must be considered as well.
The stains on the Sudarium match those on the head portion of the Shroud, lending strong credence to the theory that they both covered the same man, and the type of fluid in the stains is consistent with crucifixion. The match with the Shroud, however, is based on a polarized image overlay technique, the results of which are regarded by some scientists as subjective and unreliable. The most important physical evidence of of a connection between the two relics is that the material of the cloth is identical, although there are differences in the manner of weaving.
See also
External link
The Sudarium of Oviedo: Its History and Relationship to the Shroud of Turin
The Sudarium of Oviedo and what it Suggests about the Shroud of Turin
The Sudarium of Oviedo at Skeptical Spectacle
Last updated: 08-12-2005 21:52:33
