Britain's WWII code-breakers tackle inscription mystery

The Times (N.W. Indiana)` ^ | 5-12-2004 | JILL LAWLESS

[1066AD]

More "Da Vinci Code" stuff ?
Your local "texting" teens might crack the code :)

[bcoffey]

Hmmmm... just a few letters isn't a lot to go on. If I had paid more attention in my Latin classes, I might have a go at it myself.

[cornelis]

"Out of your own sweet vale Alicia vanish vanity 'twixt deity and man"

Not bad.

[anonsquared]

All I know...
Arcadia = an ancient pastoral district of the central Peloponnesus, Greece; hence, any place of rural peace and simplicity.

[rdb3]

Heads up, blam. This may be of interest to ya.

[FreedomCalls]

I say the "D" and "M" at either end represent 500 and 1000 respectively (as Roman Numerals).

[Chu Gary]

I wonder if they have given the "Puzzle Palace" a shot at this?

[TheConservator]

The main set of letters cannot stand for a Latin phrase, as Latin does not distinguish between U and V.

[woofie]

I think it was an early ad for Vick's vapor rub

[Ann Archy]

The poetry line does it for me.

[BradyLS]

Why are they so certain that the letters mean anything? It doesn't generally make sense to put a random string of numbers into either a painting or an engraving, true. But you never forget on whose grave the letters belong if people stop to puzzle over it.

In other words, a grave marks the place. The name tells you who is interred there. The mystery keeps their memory alive, whether there's really anything behind it or not.

[BradyLS]

Excellent point.

[Sacajaweau]

bump

[Psycho_Bunny]

Hm.....

I'm going to go carve A.Y.B.A.B.T.U. on a rock off in the middle of nowhere, just on the chance I may annoy the hell out of someone 250 years from now.

[Professional Engineer]

ping

[The Duke]

Revenge of the "one-time pad"...I can hear the cryptographers' heads exploding even now! :)

[SedVictaCatoni]

The main set of letters cannot stand for a Latin phrase, as Latin does not distinguish between U and V.

It might in medieval Latin, which had both U and V.

(Pointless extraneous note: it also had both I and J, which is why that scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is silly.)