For centuries, an intriguing sequel to the tale of Merlin has sat unseen within the bindings of an Elizabethan register. Cutting-edge techniques have revealed it for the first time.

The manuscript, handwritten by a medieval scribe in Old French, served as the sequel to the legend of King Arthur. There are just over three dozen surviving copies of the sequel today.

Using digital scanning, experts found a rare 13th-century manuscript fragment hiding in a 16th-century book binding, enriching Arthurian legend.