A while ago we were very excited that an old silver looking ring was unearthed on our farm. Although it showed the signs of having laid in the soil for several years, with damage from years of cultivation and general farming activities, it was decided to have it looked at by the experts. After several months, The British Museum has confirmed that our little battered silver ring is, in fact, a Roman ring, around 1,800 years old! We are obviously so thrilled to learn this and my mind starts wondering about the history and stories it may come with.
Just think, how was this ring dropped or lost all those years ago? Who lost it? Was the field it was found in, a field back in 200AD and if so what crops were growing at the time? I learned years ago from my research into Farrington’s Mellow Yellow, that it was the Romans who initially bought rapeseed to Britain. Would I be stretching it a bit far to think that maybe the owner of this ring once also grew rapeseed in the same field?
The ring has been declared treasure and will be on display for everyone to see at the Norris Museum in St Ives, Cambridgeshire from the summer of 2017. I can’t wait to see it in its new home.