Newport Medieval ship project: Post conservation scanning of individual timbers and test re-assemblies

Project summary

This project will develop new digital recording and analysis methods to support the future reassembly and display of the Newport Medieval Ship, the most substantial medieval ship remains ever discovered in Britain. Using advanced non-invasive imaging techniques, including structured light scanning, laser scanning and micro-computed tomography, the research will test approaches for recording individual conserved timbers, documenting the ship’s reassembly process and extracting new information about the construction, chronology and provenance of the wooden components.

The project will establish best-practice workflows for the long-term study, interpretation and display of this internationally significant archaeological discovery. The resulting digital datasets will support future conservation and research, enable the design of a sustainable display environment, and contribute to open-access approaches in maritime archaeology. By combining heritage science, digital technologies and archaeological expertise, the project will help unlock the full research and public engagement potential of the medieval ship assemblage.