Scientists use medical imaging to unlock a 400 year old shipwreck lock

Researchers from the National Museum of Wales and Cardiff University used medical scanning technology to crack a secret four letter code on a 16th century copper lock.

The lock was recovered from the wreckage of the Anne Frances, a ship that sank off the coast of South Wales in 1583. Experts believe the lock once secured a captain's chest containing Spanish silver, high value textiles, or sensitive maritime correspondence before the ship crashed in the Bristol Channel.

The team utilized micro CT scanning, a technique typically used to examine human bones and tissues, to see inside the artifact. This process produced 3D images of the lock's internal mechanism, allowing Dr. David Williams to see how the slots aligned with specific letters. He noted that while they usually study biological structures, this was the first time the team used the technology to examine a 400 year old lock.

The lock is part of a larger treasure trove from the Anne Frances, which was originally recovered by metal detecting enthusiast Peter Hughes over a 21 year period between 1996 and 2017. The ship was returning from a commercial trip to Spain when it hit a storm on December 28, 1583, and wrecked near Margam beach.

The solved lock, which revealed the code "A N C E", is now on display at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea alongside rare gold coins and an Elizabethan captain's whistle.