The always excellent Atlas Obscura recently broke the news that the remains of a 16th century shipwreck are now on view at the newly opened Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, England. Allison Meier reports that the Mary Rose, which was one of Henry VIII’s flagships, sank in 1545 near Portsmouth Harbor after an illustrious career as a battleship. Apparently, the cries of the dying crew members were so loud they could be heard on shore. No one knows if the ship sank by accident (as the English claim) or due to French military prowess (as the French claim). The Mary Rose remained at the bottom of the sea for over 400 years. It was discovered in 1971 and brought to the shore in 1982.
We did some additional digging and found out that the Mary Rose Museum has recovered approximately 19,000 artifacts from the wreckage, which took thirty years to excavate. The conservation work was groundbreaking in establishing the Nautical Archeology Society and the underwater archeology section of the Institute of Field Archeologists. Even with the extensive conservation work already completed, it will take the ship another seventeen years to dry. Museum visitors can see the ship and its artifacts under environmentally controlled conditions.
For more quirky news and explorations around the globe, visit Atlas Obscura’s website and follow them on Twitter @atlasobscura. Also check out their newly launched event series, The Wanderlust School of Transgressive Placemaking.
