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IslandChillin OP t1_ixofot9 wrote

"Whole words are encrypted with a single symbol and the emperor replaced vowels coming after consonants with marks, she said, an inspiration probably coming from Arabic.

In another obstacle, he also used symbols that mean nothing to mislead any adversary trying to decipher the message.

The breakthrough came in June, when Pierrot managed to make out a phrase in the letter, and the team then cracked the code with the help of historian Camille Desenclos."

"It was painstaking and long work but there was really a breakthrough that happened in one day, where all of a sudden we had the right hypothesis," she said.

"Another letter from Jean de Saint-Mauris, where the receiver had doodled a form of transcription code in the margin, also helped."

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lalalachie t1_ixojz9k wrote

Incredible! Is there a copy of the actual transcription anywhere? Would love to know what the letter said verbatim.

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RoutinePost7443 t1_ixoy23w wrote

It's a rather unsatisfying write-up! Long on pats in the back and short on actual information. Interesting nevertheless.

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phasefournow t1_ixp0okp wrote

I know historians say most of the archived and untranslated or un-decoded documents sitting in museum and university storage rooms are dull invoices, agricultural and trade documents but no doubt there are also many gems such as this, just waiting to be revealed someday by a tenacious researcher willing to do the work needed to uncover the contents.

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Permanent_Confusion t1_ixpdgg3 wrote

I think that's Pam Beesly checking out the back of the document..

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mastovacek t1_ixpexzo wrote

Replying to phasefournow (#661,470)

> dull invoices, agricultural and trade documents

Those I would personally like even more! They would allow for a better picture of the economic reality of the time and serve to inform on the impacts of various events.

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Snoo_73835 t1_ixpf3gr wrote

So exciting! I can’t wait until they do a book about it!!

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Drevil335 t1_ixpioal wrote

That is really, really cool. It's honestly quite fascinating how we're somehow still uncovering new material about a man who's been dead for nearly 500 years. I wonder how many other ciphered letters, both for Charles V and other past rulers as well, are still sitting around, waiting to be deciphered.

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cmaniak t1_ixpmd6v wrote

Dan Brown salivating rn

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Elluminated t1_ixpzfpm wrote

Lets hold a 596 year old document wiyh our bare hands

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ButterUtters t1_ixq72x8 wrote

I'm not sure what for, but that photo is meme material for sure.

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In_shpurrs t1_ixqb4sm wrote

Replying to ConsitutionalHistory (#659,098)

Yes, there are. All you need to do is watch out for the trap of being the most brilliant; much like trying to be the most beautiful: there's always someone more beautiful. Want to be the funniest? There's always someone funnier. Think you're the most brilliant? You'll hit a wall when you mest someone smarter. So it goes.

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cambalaxo t1_ixqbf12 wrote

If you like this kind of content I highly recommend The Code Book from Simon Singh. A history of criptography, I am not into mathematics and I loved it.

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Currywurst_Is_Life t1_ixqc9ba wrote

"We've been trying to contact you regarding your royal coach's extended warranty."

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big_duo3674 t1_ixqgb8s wrote

Replying to jon_stout (#665,119)

You make it sound like it was a casual Saturday afternoon for them. "Nah I don't got much planned today, just whipping up a quick plot to assassinate a monarch so I should be free by 2"

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chaosperfect t1_ixqifsk wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#667,162)

I'm aware of that. But don't academics, historians, archeologists, scientists, astronomers, etc traditionally give everything away for free? It'd be pretty depressing if what motivated the top minds in the world to discover and release new information and breakthroughs was just money.

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subito_lucres t1_ixqj7ur wrote

Replying to chaosperfect (#667,261)

You are generally correct! Of course there are exceptions. I'm not sure how that all works for historians. For science, you generally release the idea and anyone can use it for research, but also patent it so that people have to pay you if they want to make money off of it.

Source: am academic scientist.

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subito_lucres t1_ixqoqgs wrote

Replying to chaosperfect (#667,569)

Hahaha, no one has ever thanked me for being a scientist. But I appreciate you appreciating it! Sometimes I actually feel guilty for asking for government grants because some of that money comes out of real people's pockets.

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lukasx98 t1_ixqpfp4 wrote

Replying to mastovacek (#663,156)

Definitely, the state of trade and agriculture could make or break a war or an alliance for example. I could see it giving valuable context to decisions made by rulers during the time the document was written.

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HeyCarpy t1_ixqrd9z wrote

Replying to LJR07 (#666,513)

I would've liked a more detailed breakdown of the phrase that broke the code as well. This article left me wanting more, and not in a good way.

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Duff-Zilla t1_ixqsxli wrote

Turns out is says “I love big anime tiddys!”

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SmilingAtTheSun t1_ixqve55 wrote

Replying to In_shpurrs (#666,376)

This is so true. I would tweak what you said slightly…what you need to watch out for is “trying” to be the most brilliant, beautiful, funny etc. It’s a recipe for perpetual unhappiness.

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_O_G_ t1_ixqzr2f wrote

Replying to therealCatnuts (#668,446)

1540s would be early Modern English not Middle English, so don’t think legibility is as big an issue as you’re implying. Also this dude was the Holy Roman Emperor so it probably wasn’t even written in English

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BenMottram2016 t1_ixr1hm8 wrote

Replying to Elluminated (#665,134)

Why not?

Clean hands are the safest way to handle documents like this...

The classic white gloves are well out of favour these days because they snag on page edges, leave fibres everywhere and make the wearer considerably more clumsy.

Edit: one of many

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JRCIII t1_ixr7ps5 wrote

Replying to ComCypher (#664,567)

Usually its based on symbol patterns in the letter. If they can decode one or two common phrases the rest kinda falls into place over time.

Things they look for are double consonants or where two symbols are paired together.

i.e if you have a letter where the words "Space and "Race" are used then in theory the "-ace" portion of both words should use the same symbols. So plug that in everywhere you see the corresponding symbols, then work fill in as many of those as possible using other repeating patterns and guess and check.

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ResearchWarrior t1_ixr9y01 wrote

“Another letter from Jean de Saint-Mauris, where the receiver had doodled a form of transcription code in the margin, also helped.” Soooooo… they cracked the code by reading this guy’s answer key?

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