CT scan reveals 400-year-old shipwreck lock combination
Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 4 Nov, 09:33 · Archive
Experts used CT scanning to open a 400-year-old combination lock from a Welsh shipwreck without damaging it.
The Ann Francis vessel was caught in a ferocious storm and blown off course on 28 December 1583 while returning from Spain with a valuable cargo of grain. The ship was wrecked on Margam beach off the coast of Wales, and metal detectorist Peter Hughes uncovered the majority of its hoard over a 21-year period. Among the treasures was a 400-year-old brass combination lock believed to have once secured a small chest containing items of significant value, found near Spanish silver coins and coin weights.
Researchers from Amgueddfa Cymru and Cardiff University used CT scanning technology to examine the lock's internal mechanism without causing damage. The scans allowed them to identify the correct letter combination – ANCE – and successfully unlock the historic artefact. Dr David Williams, a research associate at Cardiff University's School of Engineering, explained that by creating a detailed 3D image of the internal mechanism, he could see how the notches lined up with the letters and identify the exact combination.
How it is being reported
- Ancient padlock found in shipwreck treasure finally cracked solving 400-year mysteryThe code formed a four-letter combination.Metro · 4 Nov, 11:06
- Scientists crack code to 400-year-old padlock from shipwreckResearchers find four-letter combination to padlock sealed since 1583 shipwreckThe Independent · 4 Nov, 09:28
- Shipwreck padlock code cracked after CT scan solves 400-year-old mysteryThe Ann Francis vessel was caught in a ferocious storm and blown off course on 28 December 1583The Independent · 4 Nov, 09:03
In this story: Ann Francis · Margam beach · Wales · Spain · Peter Hughes · Cardiff University · Amgueddfa Cymru · Dr David Williams
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