NOTES AND NEWS
The Mary Rose. A second interim report, 1972
At the close of the 1971 season of excavation and
survey of the Tudor ship Mary Rose it was
found that the ship lay buried in the mud outside
the entrance to Portsmouth harbour. A limited
excavation outside the hull indicated that the
hull was preserved to upper gun-deck level
(Rule, 1972).
Distinct mounds overlay the southern, northern
and eastern sides of the ship, then believed to be
the bow, stern and portside respectively, whilst
the eroded tops of the frames of the ‘starboard‘
side of the ship were exposed at seabed level on
the western side.
Extensive documentary research by Alexander
McKee (1972: 196) suggested that the ship was
m
0 0.1 0.2 0-3 0.4 0.5
- - - I -
Figure 1. Section through frame 182.
on a southerly heading when she sank going into
action against the French fleet in 1545. The
evidence of the 1972 season of excavation and
survey shows that this assumption of a southerly
heading was almost certainly erroneous.
Survey results 1972
The frames of the western side of the ship have
been surveyed for a distance of 33 m at mean
seabed level. At the southern end of the ship, a
shallow excavation revealed a composite fashion
piece and the continuation of frames and vertical
planking across the transom of the ship. This
area will be examined in greater detail during
1973, but it now seems certain that the ship lies
in the mud on a northerly heading.
14*
It may be that the badly executed turn which
caused the ship to capsize also resulted in a
reversal of her intended course. The starboard
stem quarter of the ship is overlain by a complex
mass of timbers and a large collapsed structure
which appears to be a major portion of the stem
castle. Whereas the hull is carve1 built, with
inner and outer planking 0.09 m thick, fastened
to the frames by wedged wooden trenails, the
castle structure is clinker built. The strakes
decrease in thickness as they rise up the castle,
and the frames of the castle are rebated where
necessary to accommodate the thickness of the
lower strakes (Fig. 1).
The castle is more lightly built than the hull
(Rule, 1972: fig. 3) and the standard plank size
appears to be 0.22 m x 0.025 m. At intervals the
structure is strengthened by vertical ‘wales’ and
fragments of an inner lining of planks 0.055 m
thick still adhere to some of the frames.
Examination and evaluation of this structure
will continue throughout 1973 and it is hoped
eventually to raise this portion of the collapsed
castle to conserve it and place it on public display
in Portsmouth.
The evidence of the small finds
A number of small finds have been found caught
up among the debris around and above the
collapsed castle structure. They vary in date
from those which were clearly on board the ship
385
NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 2.2

when she sank in 1545, to British Railways tea- The two halves of the mould are aligned by
cups, probably dropped overboard from an two lead ‘keys’ which pass through the body
Isle of Wight ferry boat in the 1960’s. The soft of one half of the mould and engage in
yielding nature of the seabed allows most conical notches cut into the inner face of the
artefacts dropped on the site to sink rapidly until other half of the mould (Fig. 3).
they reach a harder interface. A diver’s knife lost 3. Pair of stone shot moulds, similar to (2) but
in 1971 was ‘excavated‘ 24 hours later buried to used. The orifice is blackened by heat
a depth of 1 m. However those finds which are (Fig. 3).
caught up in the collapsed castle structure and 4. Wooden handle of a kidney dagger. The
are overlain by the broken timbers of the super- blade and the tang are missing, but the
structure, can be shown to date from the period triangular tang formerly passed through
when the ship sank, or from the time when the the wooden grip and was secured by a rivet
superstructure stood above the seabed and was at the end of the tang. Two holes, one in
in the process of breaking-up. the underside of each ‘kidney’ suggest that
It follows that all artefacts have to be carefully the blade was additionally secured to the
recorded if we are to understand what happened handle by metal spikes protruding from a
to the ship after it sank. A number of frag-
mentary wine bottles of 17th century date have
been found on the site. This suggests that the
wreck was a popular fishing ground at that time,
and it may be that portions of the superstructure
survived above the seabed until that period. The
many modern wrecks that litter the Solent today
are the favourite fishing grounds of local line
fishermen.
The eroded tops of the castle frames now lie
1.5-2.0 m below seabed level, but they were
clearly exposed at one time to mechanical
damage and attack by gribble, Limnoria lignorum.
The recently observed pattern of erosion and re-
deposition of the lighter sediments in the Solent
area (McKee, 1973) suggests that the upper
eroded surfaces of the frames may have been
re-exposed many times during the 428 years
since the ship sank. Each time these frames were
exposed they would have acted as ‘collectors’ of
anchorage artefacts. The erosion and biological
degradation of these timbers is, however,
contined to the upper surfaces and it is anticipated
that below these levels there will be found a
series of stratified artefacts.

Small j i n h
Nineteen stone shot of varying sizes have been
found on the site together with 12 lead shot and
one iron shot. All the shot and the armament of
the ship will be the subject of a future definitive
report. The following items derive from the
ship:
1. Pewter flagon. No touch mark visible.
Height to rim 0.33 m. Height of lid 0.025 m.
Max. diam. 0.165 m (Fig. 2).
2. Pair of stone shot moulds. Fine grained
limestone. New and unused. These moulds
would have cast a lead shot 0.038m diam. Figure 2. Pewter flagon.Scale 1 : 5.

386
NOTES AND NEWS

Figure 3. Two pairs of stone shot moulds:

0.086 x 0.1 x 0.05m.

Figure 4. Wooden handle of kidney dagger.

Scale 1 : I .

387
NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 2.2

quillon-plate (Fig. 4). (See blade from meaningful study can be undertaken to decide
similar dagger. London Mus. Medieval Cat. how to raise the hull and bring the Mary Rose
1954, pl IX,3.) back to Portsmouth.
5. Fragmentary wooden handle of a similar
dagger.
6. Wooden comb. Double sided with coarse
and h e teeth. Undecorated. Acknowledgements
7. Iron thimble. Work on the Mary Rose is controlled by the
Items 6 and 7 were found in close association Mary Rose (1967) Committee with Alexander
with fragments of a stave built wooden keg, a McKee as Director of Excavations and Mrs
wooden awl handle, a wooden knife handle and Margaret Rule as Archaeological Director. The
fragments of a second comb. Committee wishes to acknowledge with gratitude
The high degree of preservation of these small assistance from Portsmouth Corporation, Hamp-
wooden objects augurs well for the future when shire County Council, The British Petroleum
it is hoped to lift the hull intact and excavate the Group, Atlas Copco (Great Britain), The
contents under controlled conditions. However, Society for Nautical Research and many other
several more seasons work is necessary to companies and individuals. Without their support
complete the survey of the ship before any the project could not continue.

References
McKee, A., 1972, In D. J. Blackman (Ed.), Marine Archaeology. Colston Papers, 23.
McKee, A., 1973, Henry VZZZ’s ‘Mary Rose.’ Souvenir Press (in press).
Rule, M. H., 1972, Znt. J. Naut. Archaeol., 1: 132.

Margaret H. Rule Hon. Sec. Mary Rose (1967) Committee

388