CT scans reveal combination of Ann Francis shipwreck lock

Researchers from Amgueddfa Cymru and Cardiff University have identified the four-letter combination of a brass lock recovered from the 1583 wreck of the Ann Francis: ANCE. They used CT imaging to examine the lock’s internal mechanism without opening or damaging the artefact. The scans produced a detailed three-dimensional image that showed how the mechanism’s notches aligned with the letters. The technique allowed researchers to determine the combination while leaving the centuries-old lock intact. David Williams, a Cardiff University researcher, said the imaging revealed how the notches lined up with the letters. The team then tested the combination. Alastair Willis, senior curator at Amgueddfa Cymru, said researchers were left wondering whether ANCE had significance to the lock’s owner. The meaning of the letters has not been established. The Ann Francis was returning from Spain when it was wrecked off the Welsh coast in a storm on December 28, 1583. The ship’s cargo remained beneath the sand for centuries. The brass lock is believed to have secured a small chest, though researchers have not established what it contained. Metal detectorist Peter Hughes discovered most of the...