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The authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, also known as the ‘Síndone’ or ‘Holy Shroud’, faces significant doubt based on scientific evidence. Carbon‐14 testing conducted decades ago placed its origin in the Middle Ages, raising questions about its connection to Jesus Christ. This article highlights an anatomical anomaly: the hand placement covering the genitals appears inconsistent with human proportions, suggesting a possible artistic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop an environment‐friendly detergent for textile relics adsorbing soil/rust stains, the relationship between surfactant types and concentrations, the nature of additives and the type of textile (e.g., cotton, linen, silk or wool) were systematically investigated. Results showed that the detergent formulations of sodium montmorillonite (5 g/L) as additives were overall the best options for soil stains removal on textile relics. Specifically, the most suitable surfactant for cotton, linen, silk and wool textiles relics adsorbing soil stains was rhamnolipid (8 g/L), tea saponin (6 g/L), tea saponin (8 g/L), alkyl glycosides (10 g/L), respectively. The detergent formulations of ascorbic acid (5 g/L) as additives were more beneficial for rust stains peeling‐off from the surface of the textile relics regardless of the type of surfactant and textile relics. But the optimal surfactants for different textiles relics were different. In detail, the most suitable surfactants for cotton, linen, silk and wool textiles relics adsorbing rust stains were separately rhamnolipid (10 g/L), Tea saponin (8 g/L), Tea saponin (6 g/L), Alkyl glycosides (6 g/L). This indicated that the washing effect of detergent formulation was related to the types of stains and textile relics' fiber. These findings not only demonstrated the necessity for developing detergent formulations for different textile relics, but also illustrated the complexity and diversity of the textile relics' stain‐washing work. Moreover, this work also assists understanding of the washing mechanism of textile relics and help the department of textile relics protection to properly wash textile relics and extend the life of textile relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronometric studies of charcoal production remains are largely based on 14C‐dating of associated charcoal. Owing to intrinsic limitations, however, this method provides no meaningful time resolution for post‐1650 CE features. We investigate the potential of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of heated sandy sediments as an alternative and complementary tool for dating charcoal kiln remains. Seven samples from five relic charcoal kilns and 11 complementary samples from the underlying sandy substrate are used. Through a range of procedural tests, we demonstrate that the single‐aliquot, regenerative‐dose procedure in combination with OSL signals from quartz allows determining equivalent doses both accurately and precisely. For four of the five investigated kilns, OSL ages are consistent with independent age information from 14C‐dating and written sources. Especially for post‐1650 CE features, the precision can be significantly better than that of 14C‐dating, and we highlight the potential of OSL dating for distinguishing, relatively, between charcoal production phases with an unprecedented time resolution. We conclude that the approach is a promising alternative to 14C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have investigated the spatiotemporal variability in water microbial communities, yet the effects of relic DNA on microbial community profiles, especially microeukaryotes, remain far from fully understood. Here, total and active bacterial and microeukaryotic community compositions were characterized using propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment coupled with high‐throughput sequencing in a river‐reservoir ecosystem. Beta diversity analysis showed a significant difference in community composition between both the PMA untreated and treated bacteria and microeukaryotes; however, the differentiating effect was much stronger for microeukaryotes. Relic DNA only resulted in underestimation of the relative abundances of Bacteroidota and Nitrospirota, while other bacterial taxa exhibited no significant changes. As for microeukaryotes, the relative abundances of some phytoplankton (e.g. Chlorophyta, Dinoflagellata and Ochrophyta) and fungi were greater after relic DNA removal, whereas Cercozoa and Ciliophora showed the opposite trend. Moreover, relic DNA removal weakened the size and complexity of cross‐trophic microbial networks and significantly changed the relationships between environmental factors and microeukaryotic community composition. However, there was no significant difference in the rates of temporal community turnover between the PMA untreated and treated samples for either bacteria or microeukaryotes. Overall, our results imply that the presence of relic DNA in waters can give misleading information of the active microbial community composition, co‐occurrence networks and their relationships with environmental conditions. More studies of the abundance, decay rate and functioning of nonviable DNA in freshwater ecosystems are highly recommended in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Persistence of the Sacred: German Catholic Pilgrimage, 1832–1937" by Skye Doney explores the history of Catholic pilgrimages to Trier and Aachen in Germany. The book examines how Catholicism in Germany, both as an institutional religion and as a mass movement, navigated the intersection of faith and empirical science. Doney delves into the motivations and experiences of pilgrims seeking healing, atonement, or religious inspiration through contact with holy relics. The book also explores the tensions between clerics and skeptics, the gendered nature of pilgrimages, and the commercialization of pilgrimage souvenirs. While the book could benefit from further development in certain areas, it offers valuable insights into the embodied nature of faith and the participatory aspect of religious practices. [Extracted from the article]

As a writer and researcher, Murray tends to stay within the disciplinary boundaries of Sinology and does not significantly compare or contrast Kongzhai with any ritual site outside of China. In Chapter 2, "Proposing a History of Kongzhai", Murray turns to the local, inquiring into the ways in which Confucian orthodoxy and local activism worked together or in conflict to develop and then extinguish Kongzhai's Confucian "aura." During the Sui dynasty (589-618), so the story goes, a lineal descendant of Confucius (Kongzi) acquired the robe and cap of his famous ancestor and buried them together with a set of jades near what is now the city of Shanghai. [Extracted from the article]

The remains of Amani, a century‐old scientific laboratory in Tanzania, are quintessential modern relics. When anthropologists turn to such infrastructures of, originally colonial, knowledge‐making, their own implication with the object of their study – and with its epistemological and political‐economic origins and order – becomes part of the ethnographic pursuit. This entanglement between researcher and research material should challenge familiar realist modes of ethnographic writing 'about' such places that elude the anthropologists' own, compromised position within them. Matters are complicated further when the studied knowledge‐making sites already are broken, having failed their purpose – as in the case of the vestiges of an abandoned colonial institution. In this essay, I wonder how such ruins of knowledge‐making might transform the knowledge made by anthropologists working within them. Instead of just adding 'reflexive' confessions to realist accounts, could writing take part in the defeat that the scientific station's remains seem to embody – writing not 'after/beyond' but 'going along with' failure? Drawing on non‐representational ethnography, and poet‐anthropologist Hubert Fichte's embrace of epistemic defeat as anticolonial method, I trace my engagements with just one fragment of the scientific station – a driver's uniform. In doing so, I experiment with an object ethnography that 'fails' to detach author and object, or settle the question of failure, and instead foregrounds performativity, ambiguity, and mirth as starting points for an ethnography of, and in, our modern ruins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The de‐acidification method has always been a hotspot in the research of paper‐based cultural relics conservation science. The existing de‐acidification methods are either not thorough enough or not easy to operate, requiring innovation and breakthrough. Moreover, the strength of the paper cannot be significantly improved by the simple de‐acidification treatment. To achieve the reinforcement of paper, another intervention process is often required, and each intervention may cause damage to the fragile paper cultural relics. This study introduces electrosorption deionization technology to the conservation treatment of paper cultural relics. Based on the electrosorption technology, an integrated treatment of paper de‐acidification and reinforcement was applied to sample papers using a composite electrolyte of de‐acidification and reinforcement materials and a self‐made electrosorption device. The experimental results show that both the de‐acidification and reinforcement effects on the paper samples obtained a significant promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the Andreis, an account of the 1462 Roman adventus of St Andrew's head relic. While the text is most commonly known from Book VIII of Pope Pius II's Commentaries (1462‐64), it appeared in discrete parts and circulated independently from 1462. The Andreis is revealed as a compilation of texts by several authors, undermining Pius' traditional role as the sole author of the Andreis and later Commentaries. Additionally, the Andreis is identified as an early festival book, with similar norms of circulation, impact, and elite presentation. Recreating the adventus through texts written for the event, the Andreis reflects contemporary expectations for festival books, while also encouraging support for an Ottoman crusade. Thus, circulating separately and later as part of the Commentaries, the Andreis contributed to Pius' crusade campaign and reputation, arguing for the pope's authority as Peter's heir, his popularity as a leader, and his rightful role as the protector of Eastern Christians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Cult of the Dead: A Brief History of Christianity" by Kyle Smith explores the devotion to martyrs throughout history and its impact on Christian art, literature, and spirituality. The book discusses the preservation and honoring of relics from martyrs' bodies, as well as the connection between tomb and shrine. It also examines the development of historical accounts of martyrs and the use of relics for healing and protection. The author acknowledges the reservations and criticisms of the relic cult, but emphasizes the enduring significance of martyrdom in the communion of saints. [Extracted from the article]

Textiles and apparel archaeology is an indispensable part of history and archaeology. As most unearthed textile relics are silk, soft and multi‐layered in nature, their frangibility poses enormous difficulties in their transportation, storage and exhibition. Traditional methods may not be suitable for accurately monitoring their condition under various external situations, due to the particularity of the textile relics. Herein, a smart, flexible, fabric‐based monitoring system, which integrates sensing fibers, textile technology, and traditional silkscreen conservation, is developed for the preservation and conservation of textile relics. The proposed integrated electrochemical fabric bears a high level of flexibility and diversification in structure, and furthermore can act as a protective cover to monitor external environmental impact factors such as pH value, strain, humidity, temperature, and ultraviolet light. The newly developed system can act as a daily monitoring solution to achieve real‐time and prolonged preventative control from various mechanisms of degradation, so as to ultimately support and uphold the conversation and preservation of textile relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The skeletal remains of the alleged Italian Saint Nazarius (1st or 3rd century AD) were examined by a team of anthropologists of the University of Milan upon request from ecclesiastical authorities who sought scientific verification of their authenticity and to add tangible information on the life of the saint. Anthropological analyses were performed for the construction of the biological profile as well as pathological and traumatic analysis and were later compared with historical and hagiographic documentation. In addition, biological sampling of one bone sample was performed for radiocarbon dating. As a result, the osteobiography of the skeletal remains showed a concordance with the available historical data, thus supporting their authenticity and permitted the implementation of further information on the lives of the alleged saint. Furthermore, interesting anatomical 'mistakes' in the postmortem assemblage of the facial bones by the fossores, a guild of gravediggers, morticians and keepers of the Christian catacombs, were noted. This paper discusses the relation between science and religious heritage by demonstrating through a concrete case study the contribution of anthropology in a mutually beneficial collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical fabrics, fibers, monitoring system, sensors, textile relics A Flexible Smart Monitoring System for the Conservation of Textile Relics (Adv. Funct. Keywords: electrochemical fabrics; fibers; monitoring system; sensors; textile relics EN electrochemical fabrics fibers monitoring system sensors textile relics 1 1 1 12/16/21 20211122 NES 211122 B Electrochemical Fabrics b In article number 2106088, Liang An, Li Li, and co-workers design an innovative textile-based monitoring system, which is formed by weaving pH, strain, humidity, temperature, and UV light sensing fibers into an electrochemical fabric, to provide a reliable and integrated solution for the conservation of valuable yet fragile textile relics. [Extracted from the article]