Powerful X-ray technique finds new degradation-inducing materials in British shipwreck

In 1545, King Henry VIII's favorite ship, the Mary Rose, capsized and sank in the Battle of the Solent defending England and Portsmouth from a French invasion fleet. The wreck remained on the seabed until 1982 when it was salvaged in a widely viewed televised event. Now, it is a time capsule for 16th century Tudor society, and conservators are working to preserve it for future generations. In research published in the journal Matter on October 27, scientists use X-ray analysis to identify previously undetected products in the wood—nanoparticles originating from underwater bacterial activity.