NON-DESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION OF HULL AND STORED TIMBERS FROM THE TUDOR SHIP MARY ROSE.

A Pilodyn survey of the entire Mary Rose hull and selected timbers in storage was undertaken in order to determine the extent of microbial decay of the wood prior to active conservation. This method was adopted for its ease of use and non-destructive nature. Relatively sound timbers had needle penetration values ranging between 10 and 16mm, while maximum penetration of 40mm was only reported for isolated pockets of decay. It was concluded that there was little decay of timbers while in storage, due to the inability of microorganisms to penetrate deeper into the wood, because their physical and nutritional requirements were not met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]