RING DECLARED TREASURE

[Kev]

Found by a metal detectrist in pembrokeshire   (Trys member of DW)


Pembrokeshire Coroner delares north Pembrokeshire ring treasure
5:02pm Thursday 25th February 2010



A bronze age gold lock ring found in a north Pembrokeshire field was officially declared treasure by Pembrokeshire Coroner, Mark Layton, today (Thursday).

The ring, the first to be found in south and west Wales, was discovered in March 2009 by Trystan Johns, from Rhydlewis. Trystan is a member of Pembrokeshire Prospectors and has been metal detecting for seven years.

                                             

He found the ring two to three centimeters below the surface of a ploughed field at an undisclosed location in north Pembrokeshire.

At first 29-year-old factory worker didn't give his find much thought, he just put it in he pouch with his other finds.

"I didn't know it was something special at first," he said. "I was looking at it a couple of days later and I thought that looks a bit interesting.

"I washed it a little bit and it looked like gold."

Trystan notified the finds officer for Wales and the ring was sent to the National Museum Wales in Cardiff for analysis.

Adam Gwilt, curator for later prehistory at the museum, confirmed that the ring is a gold lock ring from the late bronze age, one of only four found in Wales and only 75 in Britain.

It is composed of 86-87% gold, 8-10% silver and 3-5% copper.

Lock-rings are small rings, made of sheet gold with terminals and a gap to a hollow centre. Some archaeologists have suggested they were used to gather bunches, braids or locks of hair, hence their name.

Though small items of decoration, they were probably worn as prized possessions by people of higher-status during the Late Bronze Age (1000-800BC).

Mr Gwilt said that the ring is relatively small and undecorated, and was once around 30mm in diameter. Though largely complete, it has been crushed near flat.

The discovery extends the distribution of such rings in Wales and suggests exchange links over the sea.

The ring will now be valued independently and National Museum Wales will seek to acquire it and in the future put it on public display. In this case the value would be split 50-50 between the Trystan and the landowner.

"I'm not in it for the money," said Trystan. "It feels great to have found it. I'm very happy. It's my first treasure find."





http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/5029623.Ring_found_in_north_Pembrokeshire_field_declared_treasure/

[Neil]

Good post Kev. If memory serves me that item was first shown on DW before the finder was certain what it was. I think it was the first (and by no means last) bit of treasure found since DW launched. It'll be in the archieves somewhere in late November 2008 or early December 2008.

Cheers

Neil

[zorro]

Neil if we can find it it might be worth putting in our database...just a thought.

[zorro]

first recoreded on this site on 03 April 2009. see "Gold item for I.D.", under "Beat the doc"  section. im going to see about putting it in our database, might need finder/posters permission first though will enquire.

[Kev]

GLAD I POSTED IT NOW,did not realise it was put on here then 

[zorro]

well done Kev me boy. another scoop for DW !

[Kev]

i do try my best

[Al.Thepastfinder, ( Alan )]

wow,  who would have thought it by looking at it hey,  nice one,