Mary Rose as a properly moved war grave

How far back must a wreck be before salvage is acceptable, and what makes Mary Rose different?

Age alone is not decisive; Mary Rose was threatened by essential navigation and was moved into a museum and memorial rather than salvaged for profit.

Moving a grave for preservation differs from commercially salvaging it. Growing ferries and other traffic through Portsmouth would eventually destroy the wreck because the harbour did not offer an easy alternative channel. Raising Mary Rose removed that navigation conflict while protecting the surviving structure. The museum preserves the ship, crew, and archaeological context as a memorial rather than treating the material as saleable scrap. This case provides a concrete standard for when disturbing a wreck can remain compatible with respect for the dead.