"after months of research, experts believe they may now hold the key to the 250-year-old code, which is carved on a monument at the Earl of Lichfield's Shugborough Hall estate in Staffordshire.

The Shepherd's Monument, commissioned in 1748 by the then earl, Thomas Anson, features a carved image of a Nicolas Poussin painting with the letters D.O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V.M. underneath.

The cryptic inscription was rumoured to point to the location of the Holy Grail - the cup Jesus is said to have used at the Last Supper."

Two things:

1. Any code this short is difficult to crack without resorting to other clues in the context.

2. There is a huge incentive to subconsciously or consciously accept the context of the connections to the Holy Grail, particularly at a time when the Da Vinci Code book is generating a boatload of cash around Holy Grail seeker tourist sites.

Perhaps D.O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V.M. means:

DaVinci Owes Us Our Share Verify A Very Valuable Message

Scotsman.com News - Top Stories - Code cracked as hunt for Grail goes on