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Scientists Finally Open 400-Year-Old Shipwreck Padlock
A mysterious old lock from a sunken ship has been cracked using high-tech scans, solving a centuries-old puzzle.
Close-up view of an antique, rusted combination padlock found on a shipwreck.
By John Doe
Reporting from United Kingdom 
Nov. 4, 2026, 10:03 p.m. - an hour ago
For 400 years, a lock from a sunken ship stayed shut. Nobody knew what was inside. Nobody even knew how to open it. Now, experts have finally cracked the code.
The lock came from a ship that sank off the coast of Wales a long time ago. It was a puzzle that lasted for centuries. The lock is special because it works like a modern gym locker. It uses a combination of letters to open, rather than a key.
Because the lock was so old and rusty, experts were afraid to force it open. They didn't want to break it by accident. Instead, they used a CT scanner. This is the same type of machine doctors use to look inside a human body.
By taking detailed pictures from the inside out, scientists were able to see the parts that make the lock work. They figured out that the lock was set to a four-letter code.
One researcher said opening it felt like finding something legendary, almost like opening the Ark of the Covenant. It is a big win for history fans. While we still don't know exactly what was being protected by such a strong lock, solving the mystery of the mechanism is a huge step forward. It shows us how clever people were at keeping their secrets safe hundreds of years ago.
Source: BBC
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