Risking a curse to scan bones of the Bard

08 March 2016 - 02:49 By Hannah Furness, © The Daily Telegraph

When a grave is deliberately inscribed with a curse upon any who dares disturb the bones within, it is a brave man who seeks further knowledge of what is inside. But the lure of William Shakespeare has proved too irresistible and the playwright's grave is to be examined carefully for the first time, with a high-tech radar survey allowing experts to discover what lies beneath the soil of the Stratford cemetery.Holy Trinity Church, in Stratford upon Avon, has granted permission for documentary-makers to investigate Shakespeare's grave without physically disturbing the site. A preliminary radar survey has already taken place, with results due to be broadcast in a Channel 4 documentary later this year.The examination is part of nationwide commemorations of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.Radar scans are most often used in graveyards to detect unmarked or unknown graves, enabling experts to find coffins and learn details such as size, shape and material they are made from. In this case, it is believed the filmmakers are seeking to learn more about Shakespeare's life and family.The playwright was buried in 1616, under a gravestone warning: "Good frend for Jesus' sake forbeare, To digg the dust encloased heare. Blest be the man that spares thes stones, And curst be he that moves my bones." ..

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