Voynich Manuscript Dated: Makes 'DaVinci Code' Look Lackluster

The Voynich Manuscript, a book seemingly written in an "alien" language, has stumped scientists and historians for decades.

But at least now they have a date.

The book, which was found by a book dealer in an old chest outside of Rome in 1912, was carbon-dated by a team of scientists from the University of Arizona, according to an UA press release.

Carbon-14 dating suggests the book was created between 1404 and 1438, reports Fox News.

The team, led by Greg Hodgins of the University's department of physics, dated the book back to the early 15th century. The manuscript is written on animal skin (which allowed it to be dated), and now outdates the Gutenberg Bible by 25 years.

This makes the book a whole century older than was previously thought, according to the university. The book itself is fascinating.

From the University of Arizona:

This tome makes the "DaVinci Code" look downright lackluster: Rows of text scrawled on visibly aged parchment, flowing around intricately drawn illustrations depicting plants, astronomical charts and human figures bathing in - perhaps - the fountain of youth. At first glance, the "Voynich manuscript" appears to be not unlike any other antique work of writing and drawing.

The book is currently owned by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University, and has intrigued researchers for decades. No one has been able to decipher the language used, though some characters resemble latin.

Comments

[AgingLady]

01:08 PM on 02/17/2011

This is fascinating. I really enjoy learning about things we do not know/understand. Hope we get a follow up article when appropriate. Thank you someone.

[noob1]

12:44 AM on 02/17/2011

This could be the work of an outer space nerd, suspiciously boring, eh?
http://surfpoet.com

[Odra Noel]

10:18 PM on 02/15/2011

Voynich MS Carbon Dated !!! 14 FEB 2011

Watch Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChwJeG57Zog

[rsaillant1]

08:51 AM on 02/15/2011

"feLstar gregona blistr et kveeni logma est?
P-lemavigo menn.

[sval2112]

04:44 PM on 02/14/2011

If this is a true date, it is actually older than Anne Coulters conscience which hasn't been seen in several millennium.

[cathy crompton]

04:06 PM on 02/14/2011

Hey what if the the skin it's written on is the only part of it thats from the 15th century? It worked for the plot of an Irving Wallace book (The Word).

[rog1112]

03:53 PM on 02/14/2011

Another theory-- it's the Angel's-language.

[rog1112]

03:49 PM on 02/14/2011

One theory even attributes it to the travels seeking the fountain of life-- Ponce de Leon!

[ApolloniusofTyana]

03:38 PM on 02/14/2011

Fascinating, but really, it could be anything.

People do need to quit trying to attribute everything from that era to Leonardo da Vinci. No one could be that busy!

The notebook reminds me of the oddball friend in class in Middle School, who was just bored and went off creating their own little world. Unless there are more like this one and there is an explanation, it could just be nothing more than one oddball and a notebook from a long time ago.

[Tim Ostrander]

01:09 PM on 02/14/2011

Thanks for highlighting this manuscript, HP. This is the kind of news I want to read.

[Seaborn75]

09:54 AM on 02/15/2011

Bored of the "Borders is bankrupt" stories?

[RandomMandarin]

10:56 AM on 02/14/2011

Last I heard, the Voynich manuscript was considered a forgery that (perhaps) John Dee had commissioned, (perhaps) to scam one of his rich patrons (he was an advisor to Queen Elizabeth for a while). However, the carbon date puts it a century before Dee's birth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dee

NIcholas Flamel, on the other hand... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Flamel
That's right, Potter fans, Flamel was a real guy! And he died around 1418 so he was alive at about the right time to create the manuscript... IF he died.... I've read that his tomb is empty!

Nothing like a mystery that just won't go away, eh?

[Cassandra45]

03:58 PM on 02/14/2011

Another one of my faves, Flamel, fascinating character. Good for a google on a rainy day.

[Tryandkeepupwillyou]

10:42 AM on 02/14/2011

Uhm, That's my book. I set it down and forgot about it a few years ago. I'll be needing it back now that the end-times are upon us. Just forget you even saw it.

[shonuff1914]

11:10 AM on 02/14/2011

eeek!!! And for all these years I didn't believe in you...who knew all I had to do was look on huff post for confirmation!

[BerkeleyHills]

10:17 AM on 02/14/2011

A chronicle of the disastrous trip to Antartica in 1563 by the immortal explorer Christopher Columbus. Evidently very large penguins were discovered. Tek a li li, tek a li li...

Tycho Base is working out nicely thank you.

[Pandoras Folly]

12:02 PM on 02/14/2011

Still haven't been able to get thru to Doissetep though huh?

[Aldyth]

09:56 AM on 02/14/2011

The truth is out there.

[VintageMary]

12:56 AM on 02/14/2011

This is really fascinating. Despite my background in history and conservation, this book has somehow eluded me. Now I must learn what more there is to learn.