CT scan unlocks 400-year-old brass padlock from Welsh shipwreck

Published 2d ago · Latest report 16h ago · Discovery

Affects United Kingdom · Covered in 2 countries

AI summary38s readPositive

Advanced imaging technology successfully opened a 400-year-old brass padlock from a Welsh shipwreck.

Researchers used advanced micro-CT scanning to reveal the four-letter combination of a brass lock recovered from a 1583 shipwreck off the coast of Wales. The padlock remained sealed for more than four centuries after the vessel Ann Francis sank during a severe storm. Scientists preserved the fragile artifact by digitally solving its secret code without forcing it open.

The combinationResearchers discovered the four-letter code ANCE inside the sealed brass mechanism.
The vesselThe Ann Francis sank in a violent storm on December 28, 1583, while returning from Spain.

Why it matters

Marine archaeology relies increasingly on non-invasive imaging technologies to study delicate artifacts recovered from historic shipwrecks without damaging them. Unlocking centuries-old mechanical devices provides rare insight into the craftsmanship and daily life of the early maritime era.

Timeline2

Dec 28, 1983The vessel Ann Francis sank in a storm off the coast of Wales.
Nov 6Researchers announced they used micro-CT scanning to reveal the four-letter combination code of the lock.

By the numbers2

1,583 yrsyear of the shipwreck

4letters in the lock combination

How outlets cover it

What outlets agree on

Researchers used micro-CT scanning to solve the combination code of an intact brass lock recovered from the 1583 shipwreck of the Ann Francis off Wales.

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