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Unique ID: NCL-5F85A0
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
REPORT FOR HM CORONER
Treasure case no 2008 T780: Four Roman silver finger ring from Vindolanda, Northumberland
Circumstances of discovery: The four silver rings reported here were found in the course of the second year of a major five year research excavation by the Vindolanda Trust within the stone fort and in the extramural area to the west. The fort excavations concentrated upon the western rampart and the twin stores/granaries buildings, and the extramural excavations were concentrated on civilian buildings immediately outside the northern section of the fort's western wall and the far western limits of the settlement area. A full report of the work will be published at the conclusion of the project, when all the specialists have completed their examination of the material recovered.
The four rings were reported together but are all from separate discrete contexts and are therefore not a hoard. Hence they have been sub-divided with prefix a-d as follows:
Treasure case 2008 T780a: Vindolanda, Northumberland.
A Roman fragmentary silver finger-ring, with a faceted hoop - broken at the back - which expands to form the lightly convex sub-rectangular bezel incised with a two-line Latin inscription: MATRI/ PATRI - 'mother, father'
The form of the ring is broadly paralleled by another silver example from the nearby fort at Carrawburgh (RIB II, 2422.28), also with an incised Latin inscription on two lines: MAT/ RES, a reference to the Deae Matres, the Mother Goddesses, who were often worshipped as a triad of deities. Compare also another faceted (hexagonal) silver finger-ring from Vindolanda inscribed MER - (Deo) Mer(curio) (B. Birley and E. Greene The Roman Jewellery from Vindolanda (Vindolanda, 2006), Fig. 3.3, SF 433). Elsewhere, incised inscriptions on the same silver ring type attest dedications to Mars, Mercury, Minerva, Jupiter, Apollo and Juno (F. Henkel Römische Fingerringe (Berlin, 1913), nos. 354-68).
Date: probably 3rd century AD.
Weight: <1g
Dimensions: h 19mm x w 11mm x d 8mm
In age and precious metal content the object qualifies as Treasure under the terms of the 1996 Treasure Act.
Treasure case 2008 T780b: Vindolanda, Northumberland.
A Roman silver finger-ring, with large raised box-bezel (now empty), hunched triangular shoulders and tapered oval hoop.
Date: 3rd century AD.
Weight: 4g
Dimensions: h 21g x 20mm x 11mm
In age and precious metal content the object qualifies as Treasure under the terms of the 1996 Treasure Act.
Treasure case 2008 T780c: Vindolanda, Northumberland.
A Roman silver finger-ring, broken, fragmentary and heavily corroded, with faceted (polygonal) hoop and lightly-convex sub-rectangular bezel with apparently inset sheet incised with the Latin inscription AVE - 'hail'. The ring type is paralleled by another Vindolanda find, inscribed with a dedication to Mercury (Birley and Greene 2006, 125, 132, Fig. 3.3, SF 443).
Date: 3rd century AD.
Weight: <1g
Dimensions: h 11mm x w 17mm x d 1mm
In age and precious metal content the object qualifies as Treasure under the terms of the 1996 Treasure Act.
Treasure case 2008 T780d: Vindolanda, Northumberland.
A Roman silver finger-ring, of developed Henig II/ III type, broken and fragmentary, with broad shoulders and convex oval bezel and oval gem-setting (now empty).
Date: 2nd to 3rd century AD.
Weight: 10g
Dimensions: h 24mm x w 18mm x d 12mm
In age and precious metal content the object qualifies as Treasure under the terms of the 1996 Treasure Act.
Ralph Jackson
Current location of find: Vindolanda
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Treasure case tracking number: 2008 T780
Broad period: ROMAN
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: ROMAN
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 100
Date to: Circa AD 410
Quantity: 4
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Treasure case number: 2008 T780
Primary material: Silver
Secondary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
4 Figure: NY7666
Four figure Latitude: 54.988008
Four figure longitude: -2.376595
1:25K map: NY7666
1:10K map: NY76NE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.