The Mary Rose, often described as King Henry VIII’s favorite warship, sank on July 19, 1545 during the Battle of the Solent with the loss of most of its crew of 415. When the ship was raised in 1982, the remains of at least 179 crew members were discovered, together with thousands of objects ranging from weaponry to tools and games. Many of the crew’s skeletal remains were found to be well preserved, allowing scientists to investigate the backgrounds of the crew.

A recent study by researchers from Cardiff University, the Mary Rose Trust, and the British Geological Survey, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, used a technique called multi-isotope analysis on teeth to investigate where eight crew members spent their early years. The results suggest significant ethnic diversity in the Tudor Navy.

As reported by Phys.org: In addition to using a technique called multi-isotope analysis to study the teeth, the researchers also noted artifacts found near the remains. Prior research had already shown that many of the artifacts found in the wreckage had not been made in England. In their work, the researchers found evidence showing that three of the eight sailors were not British—instead, two appeared to be from southern Europe and a third from North Africa.

The researchers noted that chemical tracers from the food and water the sailors had consumed as children were still in their teeth, which helped to place their geographical upbringing. Based on the evidence, the researchers assigned the sailors to their likely positions aboard the Mary Rose—among them were an officer, an archer, a royal archer, a carpenter, a gentleman, a cook and a purser. The researchers suggested an individual that appeared to have come from North Africa likely came from a southern part of Tunisia, the Atlas Mountains or Morocco. They suggest that the Tudor navy was much more racially diverse than has previously been thought.

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.