USC scientist, Swedish researchers decode 18th century document
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - 01:00
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Breaking the code on the Copiale Cipher revealed rituals and political views of a secret German society and its fascination with ophthalmology. Peers say the team's effort has led to new techniques.Thousands of characters — letters and obscure symbols — filled the more than 100 pages of a centuries-old text that had been located in East Berlin after the end of the Cold War. No one knew what the text meant, or even what language it was in. It was a mystery that USC computer scientist Kevin Knight and two Swedish researchers sought to solve.