Margaret Rule facts for kids

Dr. Margaret Helen Rule (27 September 1928 – 9 April 2015) was a famous British archaeologist. She is best known for her amazing work on the project that dug up and brought to the surface the Tudor warship, the Mary Rose, in 1982.

Early Life and Learning

Margaret Rule was born in Buckinghamshire, England, on 27 September 1928. She first studied chemistry at the University of London. Later, she decided to change her career to archaeology. She started by helping to dig up old sites in London.

Her Work as an Archaeologist

Discovering Fishbourne Roman Palace

In the 1960s, Margaret Rule helped find and dig up the Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex. This was a very important discovery! She then became the first person in charge of the palace, called its curator. She also helped turn the site into a popular place for tourists to visit.

The Amazing Mary Rose Project

While still working at Fishbourne, Margaret Rule started her work in maritime archaeology. This is the study of old things found underwater, like shipwrecks.

She joined another marine archaeologist, Alexander McKee, in the 1960s. They were looking for the wreck of King Henry VIII's warship, the Mary Rose, in an area called The Solent. Because Margaret was already well-known for her archaeology work on land, she was asked to help. This led to the creation of the Mary Rose 1967 Committee, which later became the Mary Rose Trust in 1979.

To help with the underwater work, Margaret Rule learned how to dive! She joined the British Sub-Aqua Club in Southampton. This allowed her to supervise and work on the shipwreck herself.

Margaret played a huge part in getting people excited about the Mary Rose. She also helped raise money to bring the ship to the surface. A very famous person who joined the diving team under her leadership was the Prince of Wales (who is now King Charles III). He is still the President of the Mary Rose Trust today!

On October 11, 1982, the Mary Rose was finally lifted out of the water. Margaret Rule was there on the floating crane, called Tog Mor. About 60 million people around the world watched this incredible event live on TV!

Other Important Contributions

Margaret Rule continued to help maritime archaeology in many ways. She helped pass a law in 1973 called the Protection of Wrecks Act. This law helps protect old shipwrecks from being damaged or taken apart. In 1974, she joined a special committee that decided which wreck sites needed to be protected.

In 1982, Margaret visited Adelaide, Australia. She gave a main speech at a big conference about maritime archaeology. She also went diving with a group called the Society for Underwater Historical Research. They were working to record and find items from the riverbed near a town called Morgan.

From 2012, Margaret Rule worked closely with the Maritime Heritage Foundation. She led their Scientific Advisory Committee, continuing to advise on important maritime history projects.

Later Life and Legacy

In her later years, Margaret Rule lived with Parkinson's disease and arthritis. She passed away on 9 April 2015, at the age of 86.

Honours and Awards

Margaret Rule received many awards for her important work. She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). In 1995, the National Maritime Museum gave her the Caird Medal. In 2001, the University of Portsmouth named a new student building "Margaret Rule Hall" after her. In 2008, she received the Colin Mcleod Award for helping different countries work together in diving.

See also

In Spanish: Margaret Rule para niños