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FINGER RING
Unique ID: GLO-EF3774
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
Description of Object
Roman silver finger ring of keeled type. Oval hoop, rectangular in section, expands via a sharp carination to triangular shoulders with shallow mouldings and feathered edges. The flat ovular bezel is plain and undecorated.
The oval shaped bezel would have held a setting for a stone or intaglio, but only a ring of soldering remains. The shoulders are triangular and flattened, there with four sets of incised lines that expand from the loop outwards towards the bezel, the edges of the shoulders and bezel are foliate, the loop is thick than the rest of the piece 4mm wide and 2mm thick.
Discussion
An exact parallel was excavated at Lydney Roman Temple, Gloucestershire, this particular example was dated to the late third century to fourth century (Wheeler and Wheeler, 1932, 82, 55), although the 4th century date appears to be rather tentative. A similar example was also excavated in the town of Cirencester (McWhirr, 1986, 105-106), this example was dated to the third century. A third example was excavated from a grave in Colchester the deposit was dated to c320-c450 (Crummy, 1983, 49-50), therefore this style of finger ring is more characteristic of the third century, therefore a third to early fourth century date has been ascribed.
Notes:
Acquired by Stroud Museum.
Subsequent actions
Current location of find: Stroud Museum
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure details
Treasure case tracking number: 2007T261
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: AD 200
Date to: AD 325
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 15 mm
Width: 21 mm
Weight: 5.56 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 10th January 2007
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
SMR reference number: 48508
Other reference: 2007 T261
Treasure case number: 2007T261
Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: South West (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Gloucestershire (County)
District: Stroud (District)
To be known as: North Nibley
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crummy, N. | 1983 | Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds from excavations in Colchester, 1971-9 | Colchester | Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd | |||
| McWhirr, A. | 1986 | Houses in Roman Cirencester: Cirencester Excavations III, Cirencester Excavation Committee | Gloucestershire | Cotswold Archaeology | |||
| Wheeler, R.E.M. and Wheeler, T.V. | 1932 | Report on the Excavation of the Prehistoric, Roman and Post-Roman Site in Lydney Park, Gloucestershire | Oxford | Society of Antiquaries of London |
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Timeline of associated dates
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