Rare Manuscript of Magna Carta Discovered in University Library

Historians and academics were astonished to learn that the British Library had received a manuscript thought to be an authentic copy of the Magna Carta. Researchers revealed it lurking in a dusty university library. The document, dated from the year 1300, was long believed to be an unofficial copy. More recently, experts have undertaken a careful re-assessment of its significance. They claim it is nothing less than an incredibly rare original copy of one of the world’s most important documents.

The use of the Magna Carta, signed in 1215, as a foundation of democracy and legal rights. Its historical significance can hardly be exaggerated, informing many other legal systems across the world. The recent discovery adds to its illustrious legacy. This new resource provides scholars with new perspectives on its evolution and spread during the medieval period.

Two distinguished professors of medieval history performed a forensic analysis of the manuscript. Together, they settled on an answer—it was, indeed, a lost original Magna Carta. Their detailed analysis involved comparing the manuscript’s features with known authentic copies, which revealed distinct characteristics aligning with official documentation from the era.

That this manuscript’s path to being accepted as a true original is even more interesting. Though first overlooked as an unauthorized variant, its complex design elements and distinctive markings raised new questions that called for deeper investigation by the historians. They applied state-of-the-art scientific methods, such as carbon dating and paleographic analysis, both to prove its authenticity and to date it.

The manuscript was found hiding among other antiquarian tomes in the library’s archives. Curators had for decades turned it down, often simply for what they saw as the lack of importance of the work. Scholars and collectors alike are abuzz about this discovery. Yet, it has sparked their imagination when considering what the Magna Carta has inspired in today’s modern governance and rights.