Tomb may hold clues to Shakespeare mystery

WARWICK, England, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- A tomb at an English church may hold manuscripts that could resolve claims that William Shakespeare didn't write all the works attributed to him, searchers say.

The Sunday Telegraph reported the tomb at St. Mary's church in Warwick is that of 17th century Shakespeare contemporary Fulke Greville, who some suspect may have actually written several works attributed to the writer who penned "Hamlet" and other classic plays.

Searchers said a radar scan of the St. Mary's sarcophagus indicates it houses three box-like shapes that could prove to be manuscripts. Greville works have hinted at the possibility of buried manuscripts at the site, the Telegraph reported.

Should any texts exist in the tomb, which covers a crypt containing Greville's remains, an in-depth examination could potentially offer literary experts evidence of the suspected link between Shakespeare and Greville.

An unidentified church spokesman said if that materializes it could also prove to be a financial windfall for St. Mary's.

"St. Mary's is a beautiful church but is in desperate financial straits," the spokesman said. "Any manuscripts that are found would safeguard its future."

The Telegraph said searchers want to use a tiny video camera to investigate the shapes inside the tomb before moving forward with any potential retrieval efforts.