Raising a shipwreck is not the end of preservation; it is the moment a new hazard begins. Waterlogged wood can be held together by the water inside its weakened cells, so exposure to air must be slowed and controlled. Conservators keep the material wet, remove salts and contaminants, replace or support lost cellular structure, and then dry it under carefully chosen conditions.
There is no single recipe for every wreck. An assembled hull, a separated timber, an iron fitting and a wood-and-iron object may all require different treatments. The Mary Rose provides the clearest full-hull example, while the Newport Ship shows why separated timbers are handled differently.
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Why can a wooden wreck deteriorate after it is raised?
Centuries under the seabed can leave wood saturated but structurally fragile. Microorganisms may consume parts of the cell walls, creating weakened areas and microscopic voids. Water occupying those spaces can temporarily support the remaining structure. Once evaporation begins, the weakened cells can shrink and pull against one another, producing warping, cracking or collapse.
The Mary Rose Trust warns that, without spraying, its hull wood “could have shrunk by anything up to 50%, warped and cracked as the water evaporated from its cellular structure.” That is the Trust’s stated potential risk, not a measured 50% shrinkage of the Mary Rose itself. The figure has no publication year on the Trust page. Scientific work on post-recovery degradation likewise shows that the chemical and biological condition of archaeological wood continues to matter after excavation; the Diamond Light Source account describes research used to understand and protect the Mary Rose.
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Recovery also changes temperature, humidity, oxygen exposure and mechanical support. A wreck that rested on a seabed is suddenly being lifted, transported and displayed. Conservators therefore treat the first hours and days as an emergency phase, not as ordinary storage.
The preservation sequence for an assembled hull
1. Lift the structure while keeping it supported
The Mary Rose hull was lifted from the seabed on a supporting steel cradle on 11 October 1982. It was covered with water-saturated foam and sprayed with seawater to limit drying during recovery. The cradle reduced bending forces while the hull was moved from its underwater setting.
2. Establish wet storage and wash out contaminants
In December 1982, a building was constructed around the hull. Spraying then changed to recycled, refrigerated and filtered fresh water. This kept the wood wet while also helping remove salts and dirt before chemical impregnation, according to the Mary Rose Trust’s conservation account.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Keeping a hull wet is not the same as preserving it permanently in water. It is a temporary control measure that buys time for examination, cleaning, structural assessment and treatment design. Water quality, temperature, spray coverage and drainage all have to be managed so that one section does not dry while another remains saturated.
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3. Impregnate the degraded wood with a support material
For the Mary Rose, conservators selected polyethylene glycol (PEG). The Trust describes the degraded wood as having weakened cell structures and microscopic voids. PEG was intended to occupy those spaces and support the remaining wood as water was removed.
A tank large enough to submerge the entire ship would have been impractical and costly, so the hull was sprayed in place. Lower-molecular-weight PEG was sprayed from 1994 to 2003. A higher-molecular-weight phase followed from 2004 to 2013 to improve mechanical strength and reduce the chance of collapse. The Trust reports a treatment rate of about 40,000 litres sprayed per day; the page does not state a publication year for that figure.
PEG is a treatment selected for particular materials and conditions, not a universal preservative. Its concentration, molecular weight, delivery method and duration must be matched to the object. A chemical that helps wood can create problems for another material, especially iron.
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After impregnation, drying began in 2013 inside an enclosure where air temperature, relative humidity and air velocity were controlled. During this phase, the Trust says conditions were held at about 55% relative humidity and 20°C. More than 100 tonnes of water were removed between 2013 and 2016, an estimate reported by the Trust rather than an independently stated measurement.
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Controlled drying is deliberately slow and even. Conservators watch for movement and adjust the environment if parts of the hull respond differently. The goal is not simply to remove water, but to remove it without allowing local shrinkage to generate forces that the treated wood cannot withstand.
5. Keep monitoring after the main project
Completion of chemical treatment and drying does not make a hull maintenance-free. The Mary Rose Trust describes a preventive environment of about 55% relative humidity and 19°C in its institutional account, while noting that exact conditions should be checked against current museum guidance. Staff use movement markers, annual measurements, laser scanning, pest traps and regular dust removal. A Trust account published on 4 March 2025 confirms that monitoring continues after the principal conservation project.
How individual artefacts are treated
A shipwreck collection contains far more than its hull: tools, clothing, ceramics, rope, weapons, fittings and objects made from combinations of materials. Treatment begins with identification, condition assessment and a decision about which material is most vulnerable.
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Waterlogged wooden objects
Smaller wooden artefacts can be placed in treatment tanks, where PEG is introduced gradually. Once the chemical has penetrated sufficiently, the objects may be frozen and placed in a vacuum freeze dryer. In this process, ice changes directly from solid to vapour (sublimation) under reduced pressure, avoiding the liquid-water movement that can distort fragile wood. The Mary Rose Trust calls this process “freeze drying” on its artefact conservation page.
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Freeze-drying is practical for individual objects or batches that fit available equipment. It is not an automatic substitute for the Mary Rose hull’s in-place spraying and air-drying strategy.
Salts and marine contamination
Salts absorbed from seawater or sediment can remain in pores after recovery. If humidity changes, salts may dissolve and later crystallise, exerting pressure that contributes to cracking or surface flaking. Desalination may therefore precede drying. The duration and method depend on the salt load, material and object geometry; a porous composite object cannot be treated as if it were a solid piece of clean wood.
Iron and composite objects
Marine archaeological iron commonly needs desalination and carefully controlled drying because corrosion products and trapped salts can remain highly reactive. Composite objects create a direct conflict: the Mary Rose Trust notes that PEG can accelerate iron corrosion, while alkaline solutions used in some iron treatments can degrade wood. Conservators must choose a sequence, isolate materials where possible, or accept a compromise based on which components can be saved and how the object will be displayed.
These are specialist archaeological services, not procedures for a household find. The Trust’s archaeological services information describes the professional assessment and treatment context.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the Newport Ship was treated differently
The Newport Ship illustrates how recovery format changes the conservation plan. Its timbers were separated during excavation rather than retained as one assembled hull. The pieces were soaked in PEG and then placed in a vacuum freeze dryer. After treatment, they were stored in climate-controlled rooms, as described by the project’s conservation information.
Separated timbers can be moved through tanks and freeze-drying chambers one group at a time. An intact hull cannot be handled so easily: its dimensions, weight, joins and curvature make a giant immersion tank unrealistic, and its structural relationships must remain supported throughout treatment. Newport therefore demonstrates that “preserving a ship” may mean stabilising many individual components rather than drying one complete structure.
Mary Rose, Newport Ship and Vasa: the useful comparison
| Project or object group | Recovered form and material issue | How treatment was applied | Drying approach | After-treatment care |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Rose hull | Large, assembled and severely degraded wooden hull | Kept wet, then sprayed with lower- and higher-molecular-weight PEG in place | Controlled air drying beginning in 2013; about 55% relative humidity and 20°C during the drying phase | About 55% relative humidity and 19°C in the Trust’s institutional account, with movement, laser, pest and dust monitoring |
| Mary Rose individual wooden artefacts | Smaller waterlogged objects, often alongside salt-bearing or mixed-material finds | PEG introduced gradually in treatment tanks; desalination may be used where salts pose a risk | Vacuum freeze-drying after freezing | Object-specific storage and humidity control |
| Newport Ship timbers | Timbers separated during excavation | PEG treatment of individual pieces | Vacuum freeze-drying | Climate-controlled rooms |
| Vasa hull | Another large archaeological wooden hull | Conserved with PEG, according to the Vasa Museum | Specific drying details are not stated in the cited source | See the museum’s current conservation information |
The Vasa Museum’s film collection identifies PEG conservation of the Vasa hull. The Mary Rose Trust has also described the earlier Vasa treatment as an example that informed its own approach in its treatment rationale published 22 May 2026. That history shows PEG can be valuable, not that it is guaranteed to work for every wreck or material.
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Conservation changes the rate and form of deterioration; it does not remove every future risk. Museums continue to manage relative humidity, temperature, light, air movement, dust and pests. They inspect surfaces for cracking, flaking, corrosion or biological activity and compare measurements over time.
Display cases and rooms must be operated as part of the treatment. A stable average humidity is not enough if the object experiences repeated short-term swings. Salt-bearing artefacts can react to those changes, and treated wood can still move as the surrounding environment changes. Monitoring supplies the evidence needed to adjust the environment before damage becomes visible.
For archaeological wood more broadly, the WreckProtect Guidelines for Protection of Wood provide wider guidance on protecting submerged and recovered archaeological timber. Their relevance is practical: decisions should be based on the wood’s condition, the recovery setting and the risks of the proposed treatment, rather than on a one-size-fits-all product.
The central principle
Preserving a raised shipwreck is a controlled transition from underwater support to museum support. Conservators first prevent uncontrolled drying, then address salts and contaminants, select compatible chemicals or physical methods, dry at a rate the material can tolerate, and maintain a monitored environment afterward. The Mary Rose hull, Mary Rose artefacts and Newport Ship timbers all follow that logic, but their different sizes, materials and recovery formats require different practical solutions.
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