Harvard University has discovered that a document it purchased for only $27.50 in 1946 is actually an ultra-rare, original Magna Carta manuscript from the 14th century. This document is one of seven known copies from a 13th century version issued by King Edward I. Historians, including David Carpenter and Nicholas Vincent, confirmed its authenticity through comparative analysis and imaging techniques. The significance of the Magna Carta lies in its historical role in limiting royal power and establishing principles of law, which continue to resonate in modern society.
"Harvard had been sitting on it for all these years without realizing what it was," said David Carpenter, a professor of medieval history at King's College London.
"My reaction was one of amazement and, in a way, awe," he said, adding the school had unknowingly owned the landmark papers for 80 years.
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