Kryptos observations

This page relies entirely on images originating from others. Most of the stills are from Jim Gillogly and Elonka Dunin.
My thanks to them and anyone I've missed.

Observation # 1 What is the front of the Kryptos sculpture?
Remember that old letter in which Sanborn, still working on the Kryptos structures, addresses the employees of the CIA? Something in it has recently caught my attention. To paraphrase, Sanborn says that the left side of the sculpture holds the tableau; the right side holds the cipher text.
Let this sink in.

This only holds if one is looking at the sculpture from what is typically considered the back (with the petrified upright on the right).

http://www.voynich.net/Kryptos/full/overview.jpg Displays what has been typically considered the Front of the sculpture (from Jim Gillogly)

This may be important for those who wish to insert a candle in the breach in the upper left hand corner.
Since the tableau is on the left panel, it would seem natural to make the breach in the upper left of the tableau (and not the cipher text).
In fact, there IS a breach there already.
Following this line of thinking, I replaced the Kryptos alphabet with a Candle alphabet.

The algorithmic results I've been getting since using this new alphabet are more like English gibberish, rather than, say, the “Czechoslovakian-like” gibberish (Z’s Q’s X’s J’s) I was getting with the Kryptos alphabet.

Here's another thought regarding the K3 CANDLE.

The upper part of the tableaux.
_ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCD
AKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYP
BRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPT
CYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO
DPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOS
ETOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSA
...

Make the breach and insert the candle. This time, CANDLE as the letter i, or I, replacing the upper left K.
Thus producing the pattern

_A_
AIR
_R_

_ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCD
AIRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYP
BRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPT
CYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO
DPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOS
...

The hot AIR escapes from the chamber, re K3.

__BCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCD
___YPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYP
B_YPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPT
CYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO
DPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOS

Now there's a breach.
There are a number of ways one could go from here.
For instance, one could remove the upper A-Z row entirely. Doing so, and removing the lowest A-Z row would accord with K3.
"The remains of passage debris that encumbered the lower part (lowest row) of the doorway (tableaux) was removed."

One might also take this opportunity to remove the 1st (left most) column of the tableaux, thereby leaving the essential KRYPTOS alphabet matrix.

Or, one might simply use the tableux/alphabet as is, replacing the missing characters with white space.

UPDATE : When recently asked what he thought was the front of the sculpture, Sanborn replied, "the side facing the courtyard."
Unfortunately, both sides face the courtyard.

More on AIR

Observation # 2 Linear aberrations in the compass strata.
Image stills from the B-roll video of the strata engraved with the compass rose nicely reveal a number of line-like aberrations (up to an inch wide) in the granite face, in addition to a rather Khufu-looking-pyramid-like strata on the left.

(ABC B-roll video stills)

(the above image is a merger of three images, stitched together by AutoStitch, a new product by two University of British Columbia students)

(image from Jim Gillogly)

Observation # 3 The QS in the limestone (This has been discussed before)
I’ve included the following images that should confirm that there indeed is a Q and an S in the limestone, if there was any doubt.

Observation # 4 The T (and (G or C) and A) in the limestone
The pictures of the sculpture with Elonka in them seem to be taken at a time at which the natural light and shadows hide the S of QS, but reveal what looks like a T, near the S.
The Q also seems to morph into perhaps a G or a C (CT?). In addition, there may be a sideways A (best seen from the QS images).

(image from Elonka: the pictures with her standing to the left, of the back of the sculpture)

Observation # 5 The limestone radian pie slice
This picture from the side of the sculpture reveals that part of the limestone is shaped like a radian pie slice
(I describe it as radian because the apparent radius is very close to the length of the curved portion).

(image from CIA, via Elonka, I think)

Observation # 6 The petrified, one-eyed face
Am I seeing things or is that petrified tree winking at us? Here’s looking at you kid. Could this be indicating that one ‘I’ is sufficient for something?

(image from Elonka)

Observation # 7 Kryptos Screws
In addition to the obvious pun, could the angle of these screws signify anything?

(image from ABC B-roll footage)

Observation # 8 Does the Arrowhead strata inherently contain instructions to form a tetrahedron?
Sanborn has mentioned that "K4 is the apex to the pyramid." Could a tetrahedron be considered a pyramid?

(image from Jim Gillogly)

Observation # 9 The carved notches predestined for the petrified tree
Notice the notches carved into the plastic petrified tree. Why carve the notches (in the plastic, no less) unless they signify something?

(image from Jim Sanborn's Maquette Video)

Observation # 10 More on those notches, now in the petrified tree
Those notches have multiplied. There are now five of them. Evenly spaced at the 3rd, 7th, 11th, 19th and 23rd row (all primes).
The two rows the sequence skips, 15 and 27, are not prime.

Also note that the 1st and 4th cracks (from the top) are more pronounced than the others.
These correspond to the 3rd and the 19th rows. (3 x 19 = 57 = the spacing of the Q in K1's IQLUSION.)
In DYAHR, the 1st and 4th characters are the D and the H, the non-superscripted characters.

Click on the images to enlarge.

		..... ....1.........2.........3   123456789012345678901234567890123  1BETWEENSUBTLESHADINGANDTHEABSENC  2EOFLIGHTLIESTHENUANCEOFIQLUSION-  3ITWASTOTALLYINVISIBLEHOWSTHATPO-  4SSIBLE?THEYUSEDTHEEARTHSMAGNET--  5ICFIELDXTHEINFORMATIONWASGATHER-  6EDANDTRANSMITTEDUNDERGRUUNDTOANU  7NKNOWNLOCATIONXDOESLANGLEYKNOWA-  8BOUTTHIS?THEYSHOULDITSBURIEDOUT-  9THERESOMEWHEREXWHOKNOWSTHEEXACTL 10OCATION?ONLYWWTHISWASHISLASTMES- 11SAGEXTHIRTYEIGHTDEGREESFIFTYSE-- 12VENMINUTESSIXPOINTFIVESECONDSNO- 13RTHSEVENTYSEVENDEGREESEIGHTMINU- 14TESFORTYFOURSECONDSWESTIDBYROWS-  ... ......1.........2.........3   123456789012345678901234567890123  1BETWEENSUBTLESHADINGANDTHEABSEN  2CEOFLIGHTLIESTHENUANCEOFIQLUSIO  3NITWASTOTALLYINVISIBLEHOWSTHATP  4OSSIBLE?THEYUSEDTHEEARTHSMAGNET  5ICFIELDXTHEINFORMATIONWASGATHER  6EDANDTRANSMITTEDUNDERGRUUNDTOAN  7UNKNOWNLOCATIONXDOESLANGLEYKNOW  8ABOUTTHIS?THEYSHOULDITSBURIEDOU  9TTHERESOMEWHEREXWHOKNOWSTHEEXAC 10TLOCATION?ONLYWWTHISWASHISLASTM 11ESSAGEXTHIRTYEIGHTDEGREESFIFTYS 12EVENMINUTESSIXPOINTFIVESECONDSN 13ORTHSEVENTYSEVENDEGREESEIGHTMIN 14UTESFORTYFOURSECONDSWESTIDBYROW         D        Y        A     ... ......1.........2.........3   123456789012345678901234567890123  1 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCD  2AKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYP  3BRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPT  4CYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO  5DPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOS  6ETOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSA  7FOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSAB  8GSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABC  9HABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCD 10IBCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDE 11JCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEF 12KDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFG 13LEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGH 14MFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHI 15SLOWLYDESPARATLYSLOWLYTHEREMAINS 16OFPASSAGEDEBRISTHATENCUMBEREDT-- 17HELOWERPARTOFTHEDOORWAYWASREMOV- 18EDWITHTREMBLINGHANDSIMADEATINY-- 19BREACHINTHEUPPERLEFTHANDCORNERAN 20DTHENWIDENINGTHEHOLEALITTLEIIN-- 21SERTEDTHECANDLEANDPEEREDINTHEHOT 22AIRESCAPINGFROMTHECHAMBERCAUSED- 23THEFLAMETOFLICKERBUTPRESENTLYDETA 24ILSOFTHEROOMWITHINEMERGEDFROM--- 25THEMISTXCANYOUSEEANYTHINGQ?OBKR- 26UOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO- 27TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP- 28VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR- 15SSLOWLYDESPARATLYSLOWLYTHEREMAIN 16SOFPASSAGEDEBRISTHATENCUMBEREDT 17HELOWERPARTOFTHEDOORWAYWASREMOV 18EDWITHTREMBLINGHANDSIMADEATINYB 19REACHINTHEUPPERLEFTHANDCORNERAN 20DTHENWIDENINGTHEHOLEALITTLEIINS 21ERTEDTHECANDLEANDPEEREDINTHEHOT 22AIRESCAPINGFROMTHECHAMBERCAUSED 23THEFLAMETOFLICKERBUTPRESENTLYDE 24TAILSOFTHEROOMWITHINEMERGEDFROM 25THEMISTXCANYOUSEEANYTHINGQ?OBKR 26UOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO 27TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP 28VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR -        H        R        -    15NGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJL 16OHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJL 17PIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLM 18QJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMN 19RLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQ 20SMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQU 21TNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUV 22UQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVW 23VUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWX 24WVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZ 25XWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZK 26YXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKR 27ZZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRY 28 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCD
(original images from Jim Gillogly)

Observation # 11 The semicircular courtyard... compass
Again, there is spatial distortion, especially on the edges, but could the ‘C’ shape of the courtyard be tied to the ‘S’ shape of the sculpture?
Perhaps, along with the courtyard strata, pond and sculpture, as another compass?
Included here are a number of still images taken from the maquette video. Better still are the overhead images.

Is that a half arrow in the courtyard strata pointing towards the sculpture?

Note the object sitting in place of the limestone and the horizontal red stone. And the mystery rock on the strata bench.

Observation # 12 More Morse
Is that an E (one dit) in front of the D in Dig?

(image from Jim Gilloglly)

Observation # 13 Another hole to search?
What do you make of this? Another breach?.

(still from ABC B-roll video)

Observation # 14 The lodestone, for those who haven't seen it.
Here’s another still image taken from the B-roll video. The lodestone is the blackish rock.

(still from ABC B-roll video)

Observation # 15 : K2 coords as English message.
Those K2 coordinates : 38 degrees 57 minutes 6.5 seconds North, 77 degrees 8 minutes 44 seconds West, may reveal an English phrase,
PS. STAY TO PASS.

38 57 6.5 77 8 44

38576.577844
YATSO.TSSAPP

PS. STAY TO PASS

PS. A SPY TOASTS

PS. A SPOTTY ASS

SAT PASS TYPOS (Satellite passage typos)

STOP A PAST SYS

PS. SAY SAT STOP (repeated feverishly, starts to sound like : CSIS OP)

(with NW)

PS. SAT A TOWNS SPY

PS. WATSON SPY SAT

Observation # 16 : K2 coords as possible red herring.
Those K2 coordinates : 38 degrees 57 minutes 6.5 seconds North, 77 degrees 8 minutes 44 seconds West, may ultimately be a simple misdirection.

Recall Ed Scheidt's comment "K4? Don't hold your breathe. I saved the best for last."

eBstes ttB h4

-----B
the best 4
-----s
-----t

"I saved the best 4 last."

Note the cross... (saved)

I’m also including a few theories I’ve considered.

Theory # 1 Those pesky X’s and ?’s
Could the pattern formed by the position of the X’s and the ?’s in the cipher and plaintext mean anything? Could it be tied to a map of the general DC area?

Check out the known PT and K4 CT at 66 columns

Theory # 2 The thickness theory.
It struck me that, when viewed from this steep angle, the letters that have a thick vertical (B, D, E, F, I, K, L, P, R, T, U, Y etc.) may be distinguishable from those that don’t (M, N, W, etc.) Perhaps more binary?

(image from Elonka Dunin)

Theory # 3 The serif theory.
I noticed that it is easy to distinguish the letters into four possible categories based on their serifs.
Those letters with no serifs : O, Q, etc.
Those with only vertical serifs : C, S, Z, etc.
Those with only horizontal serifs : A, B, D, H, I, K, M, N, P, U, V, W, X, Y, etc.
Those with both horizontal and vertical serifs : E, F, G, J, L, R, T, etc.
O, 1, 2 , 3
or, in binary, 00 01 10 11

Theory # 4 The symmetry theory.
It's also easy to distinguish the letters into four possible categories based on their axis of symmetry
(in the Time Roman font used for the Kryptos sculpture).

Those letters with no symmetry : C, F, G, J, K, L, P, Q, R, etc.
Those with only vertical symmetry : A, M, T, U, V, W, Y, etc.
Those with only horizontal symmetry : B, D, E, etc.
Those with both horizontal and vertical symmetry: H, I, N, O, S, X, Z, etc.
O, 1, 2 , 3
or, in binary, 00 01 10 11

Sinusoidal Wave

Pyramid in K3 and K4, with a few hints

I hope some of this is useful to others.
Monet