New x-ray technique gives insights into the Mary Rose

The vessel was sunk during a battle in 1545 but raised from the Solent in 1982 along with 19,000 Tudor artefacts. Since then, conservationists have kept the remains intact but new threats from within the boat’s structure could jeopardise the remains of the vessel, which are on display in a purpose-built museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Now, researchers led by Professor Serena Cussen from Sheffield University have used a new x-ray technique available at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) to discover the presence, location and structure of nanostructured bacterial by-products lodged within the ship’s wood that could contribute to its degradation.

The remains of the Tudor flagship are vulnerable to degradation after spending over 400 years at the bottom of the sea where harmful deposits have collected inside the ship’s wooden hull. These deposits originate from degradation of metal fixtures and artefacts after centuries spent under the seabed and the activity of anaerobic sulphur-reducing bacteria can lead to the formation of harmful acids.