Ancient Roman's 'mishap' leads to rare jewelry discovery in British countryside
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By Andrea Margolis
Published May 26, 2025
A recent discovery in the United Kingdom shows that chunky jewelry has always been in fashion – even in Ancient Rome.
Wessex Archaeology announced the discovery of the unusual eight-sided ring in a Facebook post on May 8.
In a statement, officials said the ring was found in a former drainage ditch in Lincolnshire, a predominantly rural county in the East Midlands.
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The ring's "unlucky owner" lost the piece of jewelry between 200 and 410 A.D., historians believe.
"You can just imagine their frustration when they glanced down at their bare hand – over 1,000 years before one of our field staff, Tim, would unearth what was once so familiar to its original wearer," the statement added.
"Thank goodness for our careless ancestors!" it noted.
"Their mishaps are our good fortune."
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The organization also said eight-sided Roman rings are rare to find in the United Kingdom, although similar artifacts have been dug up before.
"This specific type of ring, with its distinctive eight sides, is an uncommon find in the UK, but not entirely without precedent," Wessex Archaeology said.
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"They were sometimes made of precious metals, though more frequently, as in this case, copper alloy," the post added.
"By the time this ring slipped off its owner's finger, the Romans were well-established in Britain."
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Ancient Romans began invading Britain in 43 A.D., under Emperor Claudius and later under Julius Caesar.
Romans lived in Britain for hundreds of years before they eventually began withdrawing in 410 A.D.
Due to the vast amount of power and influence the Ancient Romans had in the British Isles, Roman-era discoveries are relatively common.
This winter, a Roman grave filled with gypsum was found during a highway construction project in England.
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Shortly before that discovery, a 2,000-year-old Roman road was uncovered in London. Print Close
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