Scientists have used digital scanning technologies to virtually unravel an ancient scroll that was once thought destroyed. 
 
 A TEAM of British scientists are set to make the trip to New Zealand this month, all in the hopes of unlocking the secrets hidden in a 600-year-old scroll. 
 
 The 15th-century English manuscript, known as the Canterbury Roll, is the only genealogocial scroll in the whole southern hemisphere, making it an extremely unique and prized artefact. 
 
 Despite being in the care of the University of Canterbury (UC) for over a century, experts believe they are still yet to uncover all of the scroll’s hidden meanings. 
 
 UC Senior Lecturer Dr Chris Jones says it is crazy that no one really knows about its existence. 
 
 “The Canterbury Roll is the most significant and substantial medieval artefact in New Zealand. For 100 years, UC has been the guardian of this unique 600-year-old treasure, which tells the history of England from its mythical origins to the late Middle Ages,” he said. 
 
 “No-one has anything like this in New Zealand or Australia. And it’s utterly bonkers that no-one really knows we have it, because it’s magnificent!” 
 
 The ancient document dates back to the Wars of the Roses, a series of English civil wars fought for control of the throne of England, which were the inspiration for George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones. 
 
 The battles spanned over three centuries, sparked by a conflict between two noble British families, the Lancasters and Yorks, with a number of major players in the historic war adapted into characters for the popular fantasy series. 
 
 “The Wars of the Roses are what Games of Thrones is based on, and this is the Wars of the Roses laid out across a 5-metre, visually spectacular document,” Dr Jones said. 
 
 “It features contributions from both the key players in the Wars of the Roses — it was originally drawn up by the Lancastrian side in the conflict but it fell into Yorkist hands and they rewrote part of it.” 
 
 The final secrets harboured in the ancient text could soon be revealed, as the British scientific research team prepares to visit the university in Christchurch next week to carry out in-depth testing of the Roll. They say they’re looking for “hidden” writing and any other features. 
 
 “The UK scientific team will be carrying out a series of tests on the Roll with specialised equipment,” Dr Jones said. 
 
 “The science itself is new: it’s groundbreaking work that has never before been applied to this type of manuscript.” 
 
 In order to make the scrolls secrets more accessible, UC staff and students are working to translate and digitise the medieval manuscript, with the efforts known as the “Canterbury Roll Project”. 
 
 The full digitised Roll will be available to the public in 2018, with stage one of the digital version already accessible on the university’s website. 
 
 Dr Jones says the digital version of the Roll will be ground breaking and is set to be more advanced than any other document of its kind. 
 
 “People have released ‘digital’ rolls in the UK and the US but they tend to be static photos. This is a fully scrolling, online and zoomable text,” he said. 
 
 “It’s considerably more sophisticated than anything that exists in the world today.” 
 
 Many important aspects of the project, such as the Latin transcription and English translation, have been spearheaded by students at the University of Canterbury. 
 
 “The Latin transcription is the work of current and former UC students; the translation is the work of a current UC Master of Arts student,” Dr Jones said. ||||| UC to bring 600-year-old treasure to the world 
 
 UC academics and students to bring 600-year-old treasure to the world 
 
 University of Canterbury staff and students are working to translate and digitise a unique medieval manuscript to make it accessible to the world, and a team of British scientists is visiting Christchurch in January to reveal hidden information about the 600-year-old scroll's origins. 
 
 The 15th-century English illuminated genealogical scroll, known as the Canterbury Roll, dates to the Wars of the Roses. It was acquired by the University of Canterbury (UC) in 1918 and remains the only genealogical roll in the southern hemisphere. 
 
 The “Canterbury Roll Project” is designed to make the unique scroll more accessible, medieval historian UC Senior Lecturer Dr Chris Jones says. 
 
 “Once owned by the original Nurse Maude, Sybilla Maude, the Canterbury Roll is the most significant and substantial medieval artefact in New Zealand. For 100 years, UC has been the guardian of this unique 600-year-old treasure, which tells the history of England from its mythical origins to the late Middle Ages,” he says. 
 
 “No-one has anything like this in New Zealand or Australia. And it’s utterly bonkers that no-one really knows we have it, because it’s magnificent!” 
 
 To mark the centenary of its acquisition, UC is releasing a new digital edition and translation of the Canterbury Roll. 
 
 “Using cutting edge technology that allows users to interact directly with the manuscript, UC is making the Roll available to the world accompanied by a brand new English translation,” says Dr Jones. The digitised Canterbury Roll will be available to the public in 2018. 
 
 A British scientific research team will visit UC in the second week of January to carry out in-depth testing of the Roll to look for ‘hidden’ writing and any other features. 
 
 “The UK scientific team will be carrying out a series of tests on the Roll with specialised equipment. The science itself is new: it’s ground-breaking work that has never before been applied to this type of manuscript.” 
 
 The leader of the UK scientific team is Professor Haida Liang, Head of Imaging & Sensing for Archaeology, Art History & Conservation research group at Nottingham Trent University, UK. 
 
 About the Canterbury Roll 
 
 A unique item in the University of Canterbury’s Special Collections, the Canterbury Roll is a unique example of a medieval manuscript in New Zealand and Australia, Dr Jones says. 
 
 “It’s visually striking. The Wars of the Roses are what ‘Games of Thrones’ is based on, and this is the Wars of the Roses laid out across a 5-metre, visually spectacular document. It is not the only manuscript roll from this period to exist in the world, but, uniquely, it features contributions from both the key players in the Wars of the Roses – it was originally drawn up by the Lancastrian side in the conflict but it fell into Yorkist hands and they re-wrote part of it.” 
 
 The Canterbury Roll was owned by the famous Cantabrian known as Nurse Maude, Sybilla Maude. 
 
 “We are unclear how her family acquired it, although the family believed in 1918 that they had owned it since the Middle Ages,” Dr Jones says. 
 
 Canterbury College professors bought the Roll as part of an effort to help foster a sense of British identity in the closing days of WWI, according to the historian. 
 
 “The Roll is both an important part of European history and – after a century – an important part of the New Zealand story,” Dr Jones says. 
 
 “In particular, it embodies the way attitudes to colonialism have changed: it began as celebration of New Zealand as a British colony; from the 1970s it was hidden away as an embarrassing reminder of that colonial past; today, it has been dusted off and is used in comparative teaching to explore differences and similarities between western concepts and whakapapa.” 
 
 About the Canterbury Roll Project 
 
 The digital edition of the Canterbury Roll is ground-breaking, Dr Jones says. 
 
 “People have released ‘digital’ rolls in the UK and the US but they tend to be static photos. This is a fully ‘scrolling’, online and zoomable text. It’s considerably more sophisticated than anything that exists in the world today.” 
 
 He’s particularly proud of the student involvement in the Canterbury Roll Project. 
 
 “The digitisation project is a showcase for UC students: The Latin transcription is the work of current and former UC students; the translation is the work of a current UC Master of Arts student. The project is based in the UC Arts Digital Lab but driven through the student internship programme. In 2017 alone we have had 15 UC students working on the project at 300- and 400-level via internships schemes,” he says. 
 
 “It provides a fantastic way for students to develop transferable skills ranging from team work to direct work in coding. It demonstrates students can learn 'real world' transferable skills relating to group work and coding via Arts projects.” 
 
 © Scoop Media ||||| When creating his highly detailed fantasy world, George R.R. Martin based much of Game of Thrones on medieval European history. In particular, Martin drew heavily from the War of the Roses, which pitted the honorable North against the cunning South. We've written about how The Red Wedding was based on two historical events. Here are seven more possible historical connections. 
 
 (We don't know how far you've made it into the show/books, so assume there are spoilers ahead.) 
 
 1. King Joffrey is Edward of Lancaster. 
 
 As evil as he is, King Joffrey's vicious personality seems to be rooted in history. Edward of Lancaster was the son of King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou—and, like Joffrey, he was rumored to be of illegitimate birth. Also like Joffrey, Edward had a touch of madness, and he shared Joffrey’s affinity for lopping off the heads of his enemies. The Ambassador of Milan once wrote, "This boy, though only 13 years of age, already talks of nothing but of cutting off heads or making war, as if he had everything in his hands or was the god of battle or the peaceful occupant of that throne." History also gave Edward his comeuppance: he was stabbed to death by Edward IV of York, the real-life equivalent of Robb Stark. 
 
 2. Theon Greyjoy is George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence. 
 
 Wikimedia Commons / HBO 
 
 Theon grew up in Winterfell as a ward to Lord Eddard Stark and a surrogate brother to Robb. Following the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings, Theon was one of Robb’s most trusted advisors. After Robb sent Theon to meet with his father, Balon Greyjoy, Theon turned on his friend and invaded the North. 
 
 Theon's historical counterpart, George Plantagenet, was brother to Edward IV of York and, like Theon, began the War of the Roses as a staunch York defender. Much like Theon, George Plantagenet turned on his brother during the War of the Roses and defected to the Lancasters. After Edward won the war, George was drowned in a butt of wine for his treason, which is a much kinder punishment than the many atrocities that Theon has endured. 
 
 3. The Red Faith is Zoroastrianism. 
 
 In the show, Stannis follows the advice of the “Red Woman,” Melisandre, who worships a foreign lord of light, R’hllor. The faith of the R’hllor appears to be based on the ancient Persian religion Zoroastrianism. In Zoroastrianism, fire is considered a medium for spiritual awareness and wisdom, with worshipers often praying in the presence of fire or in fire temples. Like the followers of The Lord of Light, Zoroastrianism also stresses a great struggle and the duality between good and evil (in the series it is referred to as “The Lord of Light” and “The Great Other”). As of right now, there is no evidence to suggest that demon shadow babies actually existed. 
 
 4. Jaime Lannister is Gottfried von Berlichingen. 
 
 In Game of Thrones' season four premiere, Jaime Lannister received a shiny new gold hand to replace the one that was hacked off. The Kingslayer, however, follows in the footsteps of Gottfried von Berlichingen, or as he was known, "Gotz of the Iron Hand." Like Jaime, Gotz was born to a noble family before serving as an Imperial Knight. During battle, Gotz's hand was blown off by a cannon. Not easily deterred, Gotz designed a prosthetic iron hand and returned to combat. He's well known for his catchphrase, "er kann mich am Arsche lecken" ("he can lick my arse"), which also makes him a precursor to Futurama's Bender. 
 
 5. Lyanna Stark is Lucretia. 
 
 Lyanna Stark was the sister of Eddard Stark and the one true love of Robert Baratheon. While never depicted in the television show, her alleged kidnapping by Rhaegar Targaryen and the events that followed sparked Robert's Rebellion, which landed him on the Iron Throne. Lucretia is a Roman figure who committed suicide after being raped by the Etruscan king's son, a tragedy that sparked the revolution to overthrow the monarchy and establish the Roman Republic. Her last words, "Pledge me your solemn word that the adulterer shall not go unpunished," also seem to mimic Lyanna's famous final words, "Promise me, Ned..." 
 
 6. The Battle of Blackwater Bay is The Second Arab Siege of Constantinople. 
 
 The Battle of Blackwater Bay—when Stannis Baratheon attempted to siege the capital of King’s Landing—was the focus of the penultimate episode of season two. Stannis was defeated after Tyrion attacked his navy with wildfire, a chemical that burns on water. Tyrion might have gotten this idea from The Second Arab Siege of Constantinople, where Greek Fire, a similar substance, was used to repel invaders. Additionally, in the books, Tyrion employed a giant chain to cut through Stannis’ navy, which is clearly inspired by the Great Chain of Constantinople, also used in The Second Arab Siege. 
 
 7. The Red Wedding is from the Kojiki. 
 
 HBO 
 
 Game of Thrones' "Red Wedding" is one of the most shocking moments in TV history. In one move, Tywin Lannister (in collusion with the Roose Bolton and Walder Frey) kills Robb Stark and ends the northern rebellion with "The Rains of Castamere." The Red Wedding is said to be based on two British massacres, but it also draws parallels to an ancient Japanese event: the Kojiki, a half-historical, half-mythological text that chronicles the rise of Japan's first ruler, Emperor Jimmu. The second part of the Kojiki describes how Jimmu consolidated his power: by murdering all of his political rivals at a feast. Like the Red Wedding, the start of the massacre was a song, this one sung by Jimmu himself.
– A 600-year-old scroll describing the wars that inspired Game of Thrones might not be done making its mark on history. For the first time, the Canterbury Roll—detailing England's history until the Middle Ages—is being published online, making it accessible to the world, reports News.com.au. (The first stage is here, and the rest should be out in 2018.) As New Zealand's University of Canterbury celebrates 100 years since it acquired the 16-foot genealogical scroll, British scientists will begin studying the 15th-century manuscript next week in the hope of discovering hidden features. Using specialized equipment, they'll complete “ground-breaking work that has never before been applied to this type of manuscript,” according to a release. Researchers have so far gathered that the manuscript dates to the Wars of the Roses, a series of wars fought for England's throne by two noble families: the Lancasters and Yorks, who became the Lannisters and Starks in George RR Martin's Game of Thrones, per Mental Floss. Created by the Lancaster side, the "visually spectacular" scroll then "fell into Yorkist hands and they rewrote part of it," says researcher Chris Jones. He notes the University of Canterbury acquired it in 1918 from a Canterbury nurse named Sybilla Maude, whose family claimed to have been keeping it since the Middle Ages, per Radio New Zealand. It's now "the most significant and substantial medieval artifact in New Zealand," Jones says, adding that the public can "interact directly with the manuscript." Check out how here.