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Coverage dated November 3, 2026 to November 5, 2026

Scientists Used CT and Finally Opened a 400-Year-Old Lock From a Welsh Shipwreck

Headline from ZME Science

Scientists used CT scans to crack an Elizabethan lock that resisted decades of attempts.

ZME Science's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Read the reports

Reports & sources

6 articles, oldest first.

  1. BBC News

    Code cracked for shipwreck padlock solving 400-year-old mystery (opens BBC News)

    Published

    BBC News's feed description

    The brass lock, found in the sand near Port Talbot, forms part of a 1583 shipwreck treasure hoard.

  2. Phys

    CT scans reveal four-letter code to 400-year-old lock from Welsh shipwreck (opens Phys)

    Published

    Phys's feed description

    Experts from Amgueddfa Cymru and Cardiff University have used cutting-edge CT scanning technology to unlock a centuries-old combination lock recovered from one of Wales' most remarkable maritime discoveries.

  3. New York Post

    ‘Like opening the Ark Of The Covenant’: Scientists crack code on treasure ship’s padlock — solving 400-year-old maritime mystery (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    Scientists used CT scans to crack the code on a 400-year-old padlock from a shipwreck off Wales.

  4. Good News Network

    400-yo Shipwreck Puzzle Finally Cracked After More Than 20 Years of Mystery (opens Good News Network)

    Published

    Good News Network's feed description

    With the help of a hospital CT scanner, scientists have cracked the code to a 400-year-old padlock discovered in a treasure-laden shipwreck on a beach in Wales. A metal detector found the padlock buried in the sand, but it could just as easily have been pulled from the pages of the Da Vinci Code, an…

  5. Live Science

    Cryptic padlock from a 400-year-old shipwreck finally opened ‪—‬ but it leaves a mystery (opens Live Science)

    Published

    Live Science's feed description

    Researchers used CT scans to crack a 400-year-old code and open a mysterious padlock that washed up in Wales with the Ann Francis treasure hoard.

  6. ZME Science

    Scientists Used CT and Finally Opened a 400-Year-Old Lock From a Welsh Shipwreck (opens ZME Science)

    Published

    ZME Science's feed description

    Scientists used CT scans to crack an Elizabethan lock that resisted decades of attempts.