Rhamnose is thought to be one of the saccharides in the ultra-thin coating on the outermost fibers of the Shroud.Rhamnose is one of the sugar types found in Soapwort ( Saponaria officinalis). The Shroud of Turin is believed to have been washed in Soapwort.
Chemists say this superficial residue of reactive saccharides is at the evaporation surface of the cloth.Thus linen cloth made in this ancient way, with the yarn bleached before weaving, lubricated with crude starch and washed in Saponaria officinalis is reactive for image formation with the right chemical reaction. All that is needed are the right chemicals and a mechanism to get the right quantity of the chemicals to the cloths surface in the right places at the right time. The amines that come from a dead body before it decomposes are just what is needed. See . Also see
Maillard reaction hypothesis
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