num_pages: 2
description: The Mary Rose, King Henry VIII's flagship, carried a crew of naval officers and sailors, a fighting force of gunners and soldiers, a barber-surgeon, several ship's carpenters and skilled navigators. Of nearly 500 men, fewer than 40 survived the sinking on 19th July 1545. Trapped by netting, or below deck, they stood little chance, and their bodies and belongings went to the bottom of the sea. In 1982, amidst huge publicity, an expert crew of archaeologists and conservators raised the wreck and started a process of research that has now revealed fascinating details of life aboard the Tudor warship. Excavation of the hull and contents produced a huge collection of objects that together make up a detailed picture of life aboard the warship. Before the Mast explores how the men of the Mary Rose lived, through their surviving possessions; how they were fed; their music and recreation, medicine and provision for illness and injury, as well as working practices: carpentry and maintenance, stowage, navigation and ship's communications. The volume also includes an analysis of the human remains providing evidence for the stature and age range of the men, most were under 30, their health and injuries sustained.
language: English
title: Before the Mast: Life and Death Aboard the Mary Rose
publisher: Mary Rose Trust