1,500-Year-Old Gold Ring Unearthed by Metal Detectorist in Parish in Denmark

A rare gold ring has been unearthed by an amateur detectorist in Denmark. The ring could have belonged to a royal family that was previously unknown and that could have been tied to the Kingdom of France.

Metal Detectorist Finds 1,500-Year-Old Gold Ring

Lars Nielsen, an amateur metal detectorist, found the intricately decorated gold ring while exploring through Emmerlev Parish in Southern Jutland, Denmark. The ring has a red semiprecious stone and is from the fifth or sixth century.

Researchers from the National Museum of Denmark then determined that the jewelry piece carries great historical significance and that it could have been under the ownership of local royalty linked to the Merovingians. This was a dynasty comprising Frankish kings who ruled over regions that make up present-day France, Germany, and Belgium from the fifth to the eighth centuries.

Royalty and Trade Links

Archaeologist Kirstine Pommergaard, curator from the National Museum of Denmark, shares that the ring does not just reveal a possible royal family from Emmerlev but also links the region with one of the largest power centers in Europe during the Iron Age. Pommergaard adds that the gold ring may have been a woman's ring and could have been owned by a prince's daughter who was married to an Emmerlev prince. Gold was considered a diplomatic gift. It is also known that people married to forge alliances.

The intricate craftsmanship of the ring was the basis the researchers used for establishing connections. The craftsmanship includes excellent spirals on the underside as well as trefoil knobs where the stone and ring meet. This characteristic is typically linked to Frankish craftsmanship. Pommergaard shares that the craftsmanship was of an impressive level that is hard to presently imitate.

The ring's red stone also offers hints regarding its ownership, as similar stones are well-known Nordic power symbols. This shows that the ring may have served the same purpose.

Pommergaard explains that the princely family within Emmerlev could have had control over a region between Ribe town and the Hedeby settlement. This may have resulted in a secure trade within the area.

The location of the ring was a few miles away from where artifacts, such as a gold and silver coin collection and golden horns from the first century, were previously found. This has led experts to think that the item may have been intentionally placed in the region.

Medieval archaeologist Anders Hartvig from Museum Sønderjylland shares that the person with the ring could have known about the people with the golden horns. It is possible that they were related.

With the recent findings taken into account, the discoveries offer insights regarding how Souther Jutland may have had greater influence than it was thought to have. The Wadden Sea may have also not closed in on its own, as an aristocratic presence with crucial trade links with the south could have been there.

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