Since November of 1990, an encrypted text engraved on a large S shape copper plate, waits to be fully deciphered. The Kryptos Sculpture, made by Jim Sanborn for the main courtyard of the CIA Headquarters in Langley, VA, is believed to consist of four parts. Each is to be separately decoded for a phrase and then an overall theme or hidden meaning for the entire structure is to be realized. Part 4, K4 as it is commonly referred to, continues to conceal its hidden phrase. But three parts have been solved. Let’s take a look at how K1 was solved. Might it offer a hint on how to solve K4?
Part 1 or K1 of Kryptos used the Vigenere Cipher to conceal its message. This cipher is a poly-alphabetic substitution cipher and requires the use of a keyword. In case of K1, two keywords were used, making it a Quagmire III.
The first keyword was Kryptos, and the second keyword was Palimpsest.
While the keyword Kryptos can be deduced from the sculpture itself, it is unclear exactly how the keyword Palimpsest should have been found. Besides brute force attack, a few theories have been put forth, but none are conclusively agreed upon by all codebreakers.
A Palimpsest is a manuscript on which the original writing has been effaced and the parchment or other material of that writing is reused for a later writing. Traces of the original writing remain, however.
Why this second keyword? Jim Sanborn is known to have stated that the solutions to K1, K2, and K3, do contain information that will help a person decode the last section of K4. It seems possible another layer of meaning is yet to be understood from these the decoded messages.
K1 consists of the first two lines on the left side of the Kryptos Sculpture. The Vigenere tableau is on the right side. As you can see, the first keyword of Kryptos is displayed (in shaded grey area- shown below), and so only the second keyword needed to be discovered.
The encrypted text of K1 is 63 letters. They are:
EMUFPHZLRFAXYUSDJKZLDKRNSHGNFIVJ
YQTQUXQBQVYUVLLTREVJYQTMKYRDMFD
Using the Vigenere Cipher, and the use of the two keywords, the following phrase was revealed:
BETWEEN SUBTLE SHADING AND THE ABSENC
E OF LIGHT LIES THE NUANCE OF IQLUSION
This phrase is found by using the Vigenere Tableau on the sculpture, with the keyword KRYPTOS in place already, and applying the second Keyword PALIMPSEST to the encrypted text.
Using the first letter of the Keyword PALIMPSEST, P, along the side of the keyed up tableau, and finding the first letter of encrypted text, E, in the keyword letter’s row – the B is decoded. The B is the first letter of the decoded text and is found at the top of the column. (shown above)
Do the same for the second letter. Find M, second letter of encrypted text, by using the second letter in PALIMPSEST, A. The E is decoded at the top of the column indicated by using the keyword with the encrypted text.
Continue on. Below is the third letter of the keyword, L, (in PALIMPSEST), going to the third letter of the encrypted text, U, which indicates the third decoded letter T at the top of the column. Repeat all 10 letters of the keyword Palimpsest until full encrypted text is decoded.
Sanborn has said the misspelled word, IQLUSION, in the decoded text is deliberate. He has said that it isn’t so much the letter, which is the K, but the position that is important. (Should have been a M to give the correct L)
The position is Line 2, Letter 25 (or letter 57 of the entire phrase).
There are other ‘anomalies or errors’ in the other sections. They most likely work together in some way.
The next section, K2, was solved in a similar manner.
K3, however, used a different kind of cipher method. We will go over these next sections soon.
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