The enigmatic codex, which was first found in an Italian monastery by book supplier Wilfrid Voynich back in 1912, contains 240 pages of strange, indecipherable characters and pictures.
Written on nice calfskin parchment, the book has been dated back to the 15th century nevertheless all efforts to derive meaning from its contents have up to now resulted in failure and frustration.
A solution to this mystery has remained so elusive in actual fact that some researchers believe that the manuscript was actually created as a hoax designed to fool 15th century book collectors.
Now though, a group of scientists at the RAS Institute of Applied Mathematics in Russia have determined through statistical analysis that 60% of the book is actually written in 2 languages – English and German – and that each one the vowels and spaces have been deliberately removed.
The remaining 40% of the text is thought to be written in Italian, Spanish or Latin.
Provided that the pictures on its pages depict what seem like seeds and vegetables however, not everybody on the group is convinced that the book’s contents are even worth deciphering.
“I do not know why understanding the text can be important right now because, judging by the drawings, it explains in what a part of the yr you need to sow poppy seed in order to later obtain opium,” mentioned study co-author, Yuri Orlov.
Source: rbth.com – unexplained-mysteries
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