Mary Rose

A Tudor warship, the flagship of Henry VIII's fleet, which sank in the Portsmouth Harbor, off the south coast of England, on its maiden voyage in 1545. The exploration, excavation, and recovery of the ship is the largest underwater archaeology project ever undertaken. By the time the ship was raised in October 1982, the project had already cost $4 million. The Mary Rose excavation has yielded remarkable information about Tudor military and daily life. It has also provided the opportunity for the development of new equipment and techniques for underwater archaeology.

Tudor warship, the flagship of Henry VIII’s fleet, which sank in the Solent, off the south coast of England, on its maiden voyage in 1545. The exploration, excavation and recovery of this ship is the largest underwater archaeology project ever undertaken. By the time the ship was raised from the bed of the Solent in October 1982, the project had already cost £4 million and a long programme of conservation and study still remains to be carried out. The Mary Rose excavation has not only yielded remarkable information about Tudor equipment (both military and for daily life), but has provided the opportunity for the development of new equipment and techniques for underwater archaeology.