Mary Rose meets older sister
THE Mary Rose may be almost 500 years old – but she's a newcomer compared to the latest arrival at Portsmouth's historic dockyard.
Experts from the Mary Rose Trust who preserve King Henry VIII's favourite warship are jubilant after being asked to preserve the remains of a 2,500-year-old Greek trading vessel raised from the deep.
About 700 sodden timbers were transported halfway across Europe last week from a wreck site off Sicily to the trust's conservation facilities.
The timbers will be submerged in water-soluble wax for four years, in a process similar to that used to conserve the hull of the Mary Rose, and then freeze-dried in a huge vacuum chamber.
If the work goes according to plan, the Portsmouth team may eventually be asked by the Italian authorities to rebuild the 60ft-long ship.
Paola Palma, a maritime archaeologist at the trust, said: 'I'm very excited. We're only aware of one other vessel like this in the world.'
The Raising of the Mary Rose.
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Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 14 C to 24 C
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