Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom.
Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2024 Oct 30;19(10):e0311717. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0311717. eCollection 2024.
The Mary Rose, for many years the flagship of the Tudor king, Henry VIII, sank during the battle of the Solent on the 19th July 1545. 437 years later, the remains of the hull and associated contents were recovered following a four-year excavation, all dated to a precise point in history. The assemblage is a valuable resource, as the environment preserved over 19,000 objects and the remains of a minimum of 179 crew members. This remarkable preservation allows for the crew of the Mary Rose to be studied holistically; their belongings, appearance, and even their health. Using Raman spectroscopy, this study investigated the clavicle bone chemistry of 12 men, aged 13-40, who died on the Mary Rose. Specifically looking at any changes with age or that could be linked to handedness. Results found that bone mineral increased with age and bone protein decreased. The mineral increase was found to be more substantial than the protein decrease. When the left and right side were considered, these findings maintained and were more pronounced in the right clavicle. This suggests that handedness influences clavicle bone chemistry; offering an important modern consideration for fracture risk. These results enhance our understanding of the lives of Tudor sailors, but also contribute to modern scientific investigation in the drive for a clearer understanding of changes in bone chemistry and potential links to aging related skeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis.
玛丽玫瑰号曾是都铎王朝国王亨利八世的旗舰，在 1545 年 7 月 19 日的索伦特海峡战役中沉没。437 年后，经过四年的挖掘，船体残骸和相关物品被打捞上来，所有物品都可以追溯到一个确切的历史时期。这批文物非常有价值，因为在这个环境中保存了超过 19000 件物品和至少 179 名船员的遗骸。这种显著的保存状态使玛丽玫瑰号的船员能够得到全面研究，包括他们的随身物品、外貌，甚至健康状况。这项研究使用拉曼光谱法对 12 名年龄在 13 到 40 岁之间的男性的锁骨骨化学物质进行了研究，这些人都在玛丽玫瑰号上死亡。具体来说，研究人员研究了与年龄相关的变化或与惯用手相关的变化。研究结果发现，随着年龄的增长，骨矿物质增加，骨蛋白减少。矿物质的增加比蛋白质的减少更为显著。当考虑左右两侧时，这些发现得到了维持，并且在右侧锁骨中更为明显。这表明惯用手会影响锁骨骨化学物质；这为骨折风险的现代考虑提供了重要依据。这些结果不仅增进了我们对都铎时期水手生活的了解，还有助于现代科学研究，以更清楚地了解骨化学物质的变化以及与衰老相关的骨骼疾病（如骨关节炎）之间的潜在联系。
