Image Source: Manx National Heritage/Simon Park via BBC.
Ronald Clucas has been metal-detecting for 50 years. Clucas told the BBC that he has discovered some “wonderful things” during this time. However, Clucas’ recent Viking Age discovery represents “really something else,” he said.
Earlier this year, Clucas used his metal detector to find a 1,000-year-old gold arm ring on the Isle of Man. “It was quite a big shock to discover this lovely piece of gold. I couldn’t really believe it at first,” Clucas noted.
The BBC reported that the arm ring measures 1.4 inches long and weighs one ounce. It has been put on display in the Viking Gallery at the Manx Museum on the Isle of Man.
Allison Fox, curator of archaeology for Manx National Heritage, called the arm ring a “beautiful find.” Fox indicated that it likely dates back to between 1,000 and 1,100 AD and was created out of eight strands of gold rods.
Clucas’ discovery may have been cut twice. Based on its appearance, the arm ring may have been used in financial transactions before it was buried. At this point, the arm ring may have been kept beneath the ground for safekeeping or “as an offering to the Viking gods,” Fox pointed out.
Meanwhile, arm rings like the one that Clucas found were both “prized personal possessions and visible displays of wealth” during the Viking Age, Fox stated.
The WorthPoint Price Guide contains almost one hundred examples of Viking Age rings.
Dan Kobialka is a self-employed content writer and editor with about a decade of experience. He produces content across a wide range of industries, including antiques, insurance, and real estate. To learn more about Dan, please visit his website.
WorthPoint—Discover. Value. Preserve.
Credit: Source link
