Researchers in Italy have announced a new discovery of a linen cloth that some believe was the burial shroud for Jesus Christ.

The team examined a sample of the Shroud of Turin and determined it could be as old as 2,000 years, Newsweek reported, citing a study published in the journal Heritage.

Scientists inspected this ancient cloth using a method known as Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering. The group applied this technique to a small sample of the Shroud, which is housed in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.

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Newsweek cited the study, noting that the researchers said the results of their inspection of the cloth matched measurements collected on a linen sample dating to A.D. 55-74 and were consistent with the theory that the shroud is a 2,000-year-old relic.

Newsweek noted that this latest report does not explain whether the artifact was actually the burial shroud of Jesus, but researchers have determined that its age is consistent with his time.

Over the years, scientists have studied the Shroud of Turin, a centuries-old linen cloth depicting a crucified man who many believe is Jesus of Nazareth, while some experts in the field have argued that the artifact is a medieval forgery.

The researchers concluded in their report that more detailed X-ray examination of additional samples taken from the Shroud of Turin is needed to confirm the results of their study.