A 443-year-old shipwreck mystery finally solved; scientists use CT scans to crack the four-letter code on an Elizabethan brass lock

Researchers have cracked the four-letter combination of a 16th-century brass lock recovered from the Ann Francis shipwreck off Wales. Using micro-CT scanning, a team from Cardiff University and Amgueddfa Cymru identified the code as ANCE without damaging the artefact. The ship sank in 1583 while returning from Spain, carrying valuable cargo. Discovered by a metal detectorist over several years, the lock may have secured a chest containing valuables or important belongings.