THE TAKEAWAY:
A mystery sealed beneath the sea for more than 400 years has finally been unlocked.
Researchers have cracked the four-letter combination of a brass lock that had remained secured since the 16th century, using advanced CT scanning technology to reveal the code hidden inside.
The four-letter combination? A-N-C-E.
"It's not every day you get to solve a 400-year-old mystery," Dr. David Williams, a research associate at Cardiff University's School of Engineering's Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Facility, said.
PAN AMERICAN PLANE FOUND 2,000 FEET UNDER ATLANTIC OCEAN AFTER CRASH 74 YEARS AGO
Museum experts worked with specialists from Cardiff University to use CT scanning technology to examine the lock's internal mechanism without damaging the historic artifact.
The scans allowed researchers to identify how the internal notches aligned with the letters, revealing the four-letter combination.
"Micro-CT scanning allowed us to look inside the lock without damaging it," Williams said. "By creating a detailed 3D image of the internal mechanism, I could see how the notches lined up with the letters and identify the exact combination."
The lock was discovered as part of the Ann Francis treasure hoard, recovered from a shipwreck off the coast of Wales in 1583.
The Ann Francis was caught in a ferocious storm on the evening of Dec. 28, 1583, while returning from a voyage in Spain.
During the storm, the ship was blown off course before wrecking on Margam Beach, Wales.
For centuries, the ship's treasures remained hidden beneath the sand until they were uncovered by metal detectorist Peter Hughes between 1996 and 2017.
Hughes discovered the treasure after storms and dredging stripped away the layers of sand on Margam Beach.
"When I found the lock, I was immediately astonished by the incredible workmanship and its astonishing condition," Hughes said. "When I moved the ring dials of the combination they turned with ease after over 400 years beneath the sand, and I was left in disbelief."
The lock was found alongside Spanish silver coins and two coin weights when the treasure hoard was uncovered.
Experts believe the lock once secured a small chest containing valuable items that have not survived over the centuries, potentially including documents and textiles.
MAN DISCOVERS MYSTERIOUS STONE OUTSIDE HOME, LEADING TO MASSIVE 3,300-YEAR-OLD EGYPTIAN TREASURE
The lock and other artifacts from the treasure hoard are now housed at the Museum of Wales.
The treasure will be on display at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea until September 2027.
The post Researchers use CT scan technology to crack code, unlocking 400-year-old mystery surrounding shipwreck's lock appeared first on Fox Weather
