Hello.  I have been helping folks at the Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth,
England, in studying a few artifacts in their collection.  The Mary Rose
was an English warship that sank during an engagement with the French in
1545, within view of Henry VIII.  The surviving hull and thousands of
associated artifacts were retrieved from the seabed and now are studied in
the museum.
 
In particular, one artifact--a wooden board with a crude etching which
resembles a game board of some sort--has been interpreted in the museum as
a navigational plotting board because of its proximity in the wreck to
other navigational tools.  Three experts on early navigation, however, do
not believe that it had any cartographic use, and one expert suggested that
an expert on Tudor games might elucidate it.  I myself think the game board
explanation most likely.  Any experts on Tudor board games out there?
(Yes, I'm already familiar with merels, but this board must be something
else.)  I could supply through post mail a copy of the drawing.
 
Another artifact, a wooden disk about five inches in diameter, remains an
enigma.  It is very flat, about 1/4 inch thick or perhaps 3/8, but with a
raised concentric ridge on one side about half way from the center to the
perimeter.  An eating implement. . .?  I don't believe that this artifact
had any clear association with any other food storage/eating artifacts.
Suggestions?
 
Thanks.
 
Robert Hicks/Law Enforcement Services Section
Va. Dept. of Criminal Justice Services
805 E. Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
fax 804-692-0948
tel. 804-786-8421