Sulfur accumulation in the timbers of King Henry VIII's warship Mary Rose : A pathway in the sulfur cycle of conservation concern

Abstract

In marine-archaeological oak timbers of the Mary Rose large amounts of reduced sulfur compounds abound in lignin-rich parts such as the middle lamella between the cell walls, mostly as thiols and disulfides, whereas iron sulfides and elemental sulfur occur in separate particles. Synchrotron-based x-ray microspectroscopy was used to reveal this environmentally significant accumulation of organosulfur compounds in waterlogged wood. The total concentration of sulfur in reduced forms is approximately 1 mass % throughout the timbers, whereas iron fluctuates up to several mass %. Conservation methods are being developed aiming to control acid-forming oxidation processes by removing the reactive iron sulfides and stabilizing the organosulfur compounds.