Scientists have deciphered the four-digit code of a 400-year-old lock found at the site of a shipwreck near the shores of Wales. According to BBC News, computer tomography helped in examining the internal mechanism of the ancient lock.
Treasure hunter Peter Hughes discovered the silver lock in 1999 on Morfa beach near the town of Port Talbot. It turned out that the find was part of the treasure of the Spanish ship Ann Francis. While returning from Spain, the ship was caught in a storm on December 28, 1583. Its cargo had been hidden under sand for several centuries.
Hughes found hundreds of archaeological items, including Spanish silver coins and special weights used to weigh them. It is possible that the lock secured these valuable items or closed a chest containing documents, fabrics, and other perishable goods.
The treasure hunter tried for about 20 years to find the correct combination on his own, but without success. Experts from the National Museum of Wales and Cardiff University scanned the lock using micro-computer tomography and revealed the code: ANCE.
The lock has four rotating rings, each with six letters. These provide 1,296 possible combinations. Additional complexity was created by stationary letters at the ends of the lock, which could confuse those attempting to open it.
David Williams, a researcher at Cardiff University, admitted that he initially doubted the success of the experiment. However, after several attempts, the specialists managed to see the internal structure of the lock and find the code.
According to the museum's collection managers, the find is unusually well-preserved and still works just as it did centuries ago. The archaeological collection was transferred to the National Museum of Wales in 2017 and has been exhibited since July 2026 at the museum located on the seafront in Swansea.
