You may recall that in February, I linked to a scientific paper by Pam Moon, Coloured Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) contamination, mould damage, biocides and the carbon-14 dating of the Shroud of Turin.
Pam now has two new historical papers that explore a medieval manuscript, which is a version of John Skylitzes chronicle of the Byzantine Empire from 811 to1057. The first paper is about the so-called poker holes and the second paper about the transfer of the shroud from Edessa to Constantinople.
The Shroud of Turin in Constantinople? Paper I: An analysis of the L Shaped markings on the Shroud of Turin and an examination of the Holy Mandylion and Holy Shroud in the Madrid Skylitzes - The Shroud of Turin in Constantinople? Paper 2: An examination of Byzantine art depicting Christ between AD 945 and AD 1042, following the arrival of the Holy Mandylion in Constantinople in AD 944
Calm down, Yannick; these are interesting papers for the rest of us.
Well done Pam…this is brilliant and informative work!
I think these may be the first papers I have read by Pam Moon, and they are delightful. I checked back on the CDO paper posted last February. After reading through this paper, the difficulties in C-14 dating of any textile become most apparent, and it would seem quite unreliable unless the textile has been permanently stored in a hermetically sealed container. I have yet to have examples of accurately C14-dated textiles brought to my attention, and which have been corroborated by means independent of C-14.
The present two ‘TS in Constantinople?’ papers, present some rarely available illustrations from a unique source, the ‘Madrid Skylitzes’, which Pam asserts is the only available surviving manuscript of 10th century Byzantine history. The illustrations are beautiful. Unfortunately there seems to be a document reading problem with Part II and not all of it could be downloaded. I hope this problem can resolved, as the papers will obviously reward close study.
I had no problem with part II downloading completely. Maybe try it again Dave. I too find the illustrations beautiful but moreso the sculptured ivory, just wonderful. Your mentioning of the C14 and it’s issues with testing fabrics/textiles is what I have been trying to get across here for months. I have done some extensive reading on the issue and from what I have understood, testing of the Shroud material would be a nightmare to C14 technicians, due to it’s ‘extreme’ contamination. Unless and until science can find a way to get around all that contamination, another testing would be fruitless IMHO, and a fairly good reason (on its’ own), not to accept the 1988 results.
R