Margaret Rule

Margaret Rule (1928–2015) was a British archaeologist and conservator best known for raising the Mary Rose, a Tudor warship that sank in the Solent in 1545.

Early life and education

Margaret Helen Rule was born on September 27, 1928, in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. She studied archaeology at the University of London, where she developed a particular interest in the conservation of archaeological materials.

Career

Rule began her career at the Guildhall Museum in London, where she worked on the conservation of artifacts from the Roman and medieval periods. In 1971, she was appointed the archaeological director of the Mary Rose Trust, a position she held until 1994.

During her tenure, Rule led the project to raise the Mary Rose from the seabed. The ship was successfully raised in 1982, in one of the most complex and expensive maritime salvage operations in history. The project attracted international attention and has been described as one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

In addition to her work on the Mary Rose, Rule also conducted archaeological investigations at other underwater sites, including the Roman Portus project in Italy and the Vasa in Sweden.

Legacy

Rule's work has had a significant impact on the field of underwater archaeology. Her methods and techniques have been widely adopted and she is recognized as a pioneer in the field. The Margaret Rule Award was established in her honor by the Nautical Archaeology Society.

See also

• Mary Rose
• Underwater archaeology
• Nautical Archaeology Society

External links

• The Mary Rose Trust

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  Sculpture of Margaret Rule by Luke Shepherd