Researchers crack the code of a 16th-century combination lock

Researchers from Cardiff University and Amgueddfa Cymru (Museum Wales) identified the secret combination of a brass lock found in a shipwreck off the coast of Wales.

David Williams used micro-CT scanning technology to create a 3D image of the internal mechanism of the lock. This process allowed him to see how specific notches aligned with letters inside the device. He determined that the four-letter code for the lock is ANCE.

The lock came from the Ann Frances, an English merchant ship that sank during a storm in 1583. Divers found the lock near a collection of Spanish silver coins. Experts believe the lock originally secured a small chest that may have contained those coins or other valuables that have since decayed. Museum staff tested the code and confirmed that it successfully opened the mechanism.