Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 11 October 1982
- It is estimated that 600 large oak trees had to be cut down in order to build such a ship in the 16th century. The Mary Rose had over 400 crewmen, which was occasionally increased to over 750.
The greater part of the Mary Rose was recovered from the sea on this day in 1982.
This was one of the most spectacular maritime archaeology undertakings in history. The Mary Rose originated from the time of Henry VIII of the Tudor dynasty. The ship sank sometime back in 1545, and remained lying on the seabed for a full 437 years.
The Mary Rose was a relatively large sailing ship, weighing around 700 tons. It was therefore one of the largest European warships of its time. It is estimated that 600 large oak trees had to be cut down in order to build such a ship in the 16th century.
The Mary Rose had over 400 crewmen, which was occasionally increased to over 750. The ship could carry as many as 96 guns, which could be fired from gun ports in the ship’s hull (these were a rather recent innovation at the time).
The ship was sunk in 1545, most likely during a battle against French galleys. It remained lying on the seabed, near the southern coast of England. Its remains were located in 1971, and it was suggested that the wreck should be salvaged. This took place in 1982, and was one of the largest such undertakings in history.
The recovered wreck of Mary Rose is currently being kept in a special museum in Portsmouth, England. The remains and the equipment that was aboard the ship (around 26,000 objects have been recovered from the ship) can offer an almost unparalleled insight into the material history of 16th century Europe. Millions have already visited the recovered remains of the ship.
