Mega microscope to protect history

Nearly £100K of funding has been awarded to help ensure the Mary Rose and other historic ships at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard are protected for years to come. The funding has been awarded to the University of Portsmouth, in partnership with the Mary Rose Trust, for state-of-the-art digital microscopy equipment.

This equipment will provide information about the structure and composition of artefacts that can reveal far more about their origins and how to preserve them, than observation alone.

The collaboration will help care for some of the most important collections associated with UK maritime heritage, which also include HMS Victory, Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar, and HMS Warrior, Britain’s first iron-hulled battleship.

Dr James Darling, from the School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, said, “Improving our understanding of the historical and cultural significance of these artefacts often requires highly detailed study at a microscopic scale. While in fantastic condition considering their age, sadly some deterioration has occurred due to the environment they have been subjected to.

The only way to keep abreast of this deterioration and prevent any further progression is to fully understand the materials and how they have interacted with the environment. This project will allow experts to carry out wideranging analysis of artefacts in these collections, which will ensure they are fully preserved.”

The new digital microscope facilities will also give museum visitors a chance to trace the origins, history and conservation of historic artefacts in a level of detail far beyond eyesight alone.