The famous 17th-century Swedish warship Vasa has been on display in the Vasa Museum since 1990 (Figure 1). The Vasa sank on its maiden voyage in 1628, and was recovered in 1961 after 333 years in the cold brackish water of Stockholm harbor. After extensive conservation treatment, the oaken Vasa appeared in good condition (1). However, high acidity and a rapid spread of sulfate salts and elemental sulfur were recently observed on many wooden surfaces. A research team led by Prof. Magnus Sandström, University of Stockholm, have approached the problem by using X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) at the sulfur K-edge.
