Shroud of Turin was unveiled for a rare two-month public viewing on Saturday, August 12, in Turin, Italy. He and other caretakers of the shroud say they are open to a scientific reexamination of the cloth.
Most researchers are eager to test hypotheses that focus on one narrow aspect of the shroud.
One promotes the pollen evidence, another questions the radiocarbon dating, a third looks for proofs in the weave of the cloth. However, those hoping to buttress the cloth's claim to authenticity have suggested that bacteria or scorching from the 1532 fire may have contaminated the sample. Nickell believes that examining the preponderance of evidence and demonstrating how each piece supports the other makes the strongest case. He has employed this method in his research and is convinced that the shroud is indeed a medieval forgery. For Nickell, documentary and forensic findings corroborate each other and point to one answer.