A ring with a “mysterious shape” from a forgotten tribe has been discovered by an amateur archaeologist in Scotland.
According to the University of Aberdeen, which led the excavation, “the ring is shaped like a kite with a center made of garnet stone or a type of red glass,” and it was found by a volunteer at a fort in Burghead, northeastern Scotland.
John Ralph, a former engineer, registered as a volunteer for the excavation in Burghead and is the one who discovered the ancient ring.
Scientists state that the discovery of the kite-shaped ring has shed more light on the lives and society of the Picts. (Image: University of Aberdeen).
Gordon Noble, the archaeological professor leading the excavation, remarked that what Ralph found is “very special.” Noble stated: “We find this to be truly fascinating because, although it has been buried for over a thousand years underground, we can still see the sparkle of the garnet stone.”
The ring has been identified as belonging to the Picts, an ancient people who lived in what is now eastern and northeastern Scotland. Very little is known about them, and “only a few limited and contentious sources remain to prove their six-century existence,” according to the University of Aberdeen’s website. No traces of the Picts have appeared in records by the 9th century AD.
Noble explained that: “There are very few Pictish rings discovered, and the ones we know of typically come from treasures that were intentionally buried to preserve them in some way.”
Noble added: “We did not expect to find it on the floor of a house that we thought was not particularly significant, so we excavated here last.” The ring is currently being analyzed at the Post-Excavation Services of the National Museum of Scotland.
