title: How was the Turin Shroud Man crucified?
abstract: As the literature is not exhaustive with reference to the way the Turin Shroud (TS) Man was crucified, and it is not easy to draw significant information from only a "photograph" of a man on a linen sheet, this study tries to add some detail on this issue based on both image processing of high resolution photos of the TS and on experimental tests on arms and legs of human cadavers. With regard to the TS Man hands, a first hypothesis states that the left hand of the TS Man was nailed twice at two different anatomical sites: the midcarpal joint medially to the pisiform between the lunate/pyramidal and capitate/uncinate bones (Destot's space) and the radiocarpal joint between the radio, lunate and scaphoid; also the right hand would have been nailed twice. A second hypothesis, preferred by the authors, states that the hands were nailed only once in the Destot's space with partial lesion of the ulnar nerve and flexion of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumbs. With regard to the TS Man feet, the imprint of the sole of the right foot leads to the conclusion that TS Man suffered a dislocation at the ankle just before the nailing. The entrance hole of the nail on the right foot is a few inches from the ankle, and excludes a double nailing. The nail has been driven between the tarsal bones. The TS Man suffered the following tortures during crucifixion: a very serious and widespread causalgia due to total paralysis of the upper right limb (paradoxical causalgia); a nailing of the left wrist with damage to the ulnar nerve; a similar nailing of the right wrist; and a nailing to both feet using one only nail that injured the plantaris medialis nerves. The respiratory limitation was probably not sufficient to cause death by asphyxiation. Also considering the hypovolemia produced by scourging and the many other tortures detectable on the TS, the principal cause of death can be attributed to a myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Hospital-University of Padua, Italy. Electronic address: matteo.bevilacqua@alice.it.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padua, Italy. Electronic address: giulio.fanti@unipd.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fanti
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Clinic, University of Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: michele.darienzo@unipa.it.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Arienzo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, University of Padua, Italy. Electronic address: andrea.porzionato@unipd.it.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Porzionato
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, University of Padua, Italy. Electronic address: veronica.macchi@unipd.it.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Macchi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, University of Padua, Italy. Electronic address: raffaele.decaro@unipd.it.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Caro
mesh_terms: D001237:Asphyxia / Q000266:history; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002102:Cadaver; D002835:Christianity / Q000266:history*; D003288:Contusions / Q000266:history; D005197:Famous Persons; D005528:Foot; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006225:Hand; D049690:History, Ancient; D006708:Homicide / Q000266:history; D006801:Humans; D007103:Immobilization; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000266:history* / Q000401:mortality; D012774:Shock, Traumatic / Q000266:history* / Q000401:mortality; D014104:Torture / Q000266:history*; D014754:Violence / Q000266:history; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000266:history* / Q000473:pathology; D014955:Wrist Joint
keywords: Causalgia; Cause of death; Crucifixion technique; Nailing; Turin Shroud Man