While hiking with his father, 13-year-old Yair Whitson from Haifa, Israel, stumbled upon a bronze ring that is thousands of years old.
Yair Whitson reported that he found the ring near an ancient quarry in Carmel National Park.
The ancient ring discovered by Yair Whitson.
“I saw a small green object and picked it up. It was corroded, and at first, I thought it was just a rusty nut,” the 13-year-old recounted.
Initially, Whitson intended to melt down the item but changed his mind upon realizing it was a ring. He also noticed an image resembling a warrior engraved on the ring.
Believing the ring could be an artifact, the Whitson family contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority, according to New York Post.
Nir Distelfeld and Dr. Eitan Klein from the Anti-Theft Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) stated that their speculation about the engraving on Whitson’s ring was quite accurate.
Specifically, the image is of Minerva, the goddess often likened to Athena of Greece. Minerva is a well-known figure in Israel, recognized as “the goddess of war and military strategy, as well as the goddess of wisdom.”
“On this beautiful, intact ring is the image of a nude figure wearing a helmet. One hand holds a shield, while the other wields a spear,” the experts explained.
The 13-year-old boy is praised for discovering the ring.
The IAA estimates that the ring, made of bronze, is about 1,800 years old. Experts speculate that the item may have belonged to a Roman woman who lived near Mount Carmel and was buried with it after her death, or it could have been dropped by a worker during excavation.
Additionally, there is a possibility that the ring was a grave offering found in nearby tombs around this ancient site.
The ring has been transferred to the Israel National Treasures Bureau and will be displayed at the National Archaeological Museum of the J. and Jeanie Schottenstein Foundation in Jerusalem.
Whitson has also been commended for his kindness and contribution to preserving cultural artifacts. He and his family will receive a special trip to visit the location where the ring is kept.
