Shroud Tour: Forensics

    Enrie's full body pictures were so detailed, doctors and pathologists were able to do an actual medical diagnosis of the man in the shroud.  The results: he is definitely dead.  They could tell that rigor mortis had already set in.  On the front image of the man in the shroud, they noticed several things:
    The face is badly bruised and swollen, especially on the right side (left side in negative picture), as the right eye is almost swollen shut.  The nose appears as though it might have been broken. 
 

Above: Negative picture of the face revealing a positive image.
Below: Area of the face that is more swollen, nose region, and blood marks are highlighted.

 

 
 

    There is a puncture wound in one of the wrists, the other wrist is covered, but it is also believed to have a puncture wound since there is a trickle of blood flowing up the arm.

Above: Negative picture of the hand region revealing a positive image.
Below: Blood marks highlighted in red.

 
 

    Dr. Pierre Barbet noticed that on each hand, only four fingers are visible.  He discovered that when the median nerve is struck, the thumb locks into the palm of the hand.
 

Above: Negative close-up picture of the hand region, revealing a positive image.
Below: The four fingers on each hand are highlighted.

 
 

    There is also a puncture wound on one of the feet, the other foot image is cut off by the cloth.  The knees are badly damaged (particularly the left knee) as if by a fall.

 

Above: Negative picture of the legs and foot region showing a positive image.  The puncture wound is seen on the right foot (the foot on the left in the picture).

    In the chest area, there is a large puncture would between the fifth and sixth rib on the right side of the man.  This is a post-mortem (after death) wound that has caused a lot of blood flow as well as a watery serum.  It appears that something such as a sword, lance, or a spear was thrust into this man's side, piercing his heart.
 

Above: Negative picture of the chest region revealing a positive image.
Below: Side-wound highlighted.  Note that the fire damage of 1532 destroyed some of it.

      On the back, the doctors noticed that in the head region there are several puncture wounds that seem to indicate something spikey, in a cap-like shape was placed on this man's head.
 

Above: Negative picture of the back of the head, revealing a positive image.
Below: Blood marks on the back of the head are highlighted.

 

 
    On the back, there is a large bruised area along the shoulder region.  It seems that something large, rough, and heavy was placed along this man's back.
 

    Down further, there is a large blood stain from the puncture wound in the side.  The blood flow goes across the back.
 

Above: Negative picture revealing a positive image of the mid-back region.
Below: The blood flow along the back, that is a result of the side wound, is highlighted.

 

      Throughout the entire back image, and even parts of the frontal image, are small dumbbell shaped blood marks that match up to the size and shape of a wound from a First Century Roman flagrum.  To date, there have been over 160 of these blood marks found.  There are probably many more, however, only the blood marks that would be moist when the cloth was laid over the body would have been absorbed and leave their witness on the Shroud.
 

 
   Finally, on both of the soles of the feet is a puncture wound.
 

Negative Picture of the soles of the feet revealing a positive image.

    The doctors and pathologists concluded that it appears as if this man was beaten, scourged, and crucified in the manner of Jesus of Nazareth.