ANCIENT FINDS: Viking ring found at Iwerne Minster, Dorset and, below, coroner Michael Johnston
Dorset Echo » News ».............................
A ROMAN ring and a silver Viking fragment found on farmland were declared treasure and seized for the Queen.
Both pieces of ancient jewellery were found last year on farmland in North Dorset.
The first, a Roman silver ring, had been slightly flattened.
It was found at fields in Manston by David Waxman from Bicester in Oxfordshire and was described by West Dorset Coroner Michael Johnston as a ‘silver finger ring’.
The ring’s shoulders have punched patterns in them featuring curves, rings and semi-circular designs. The main part of the ring has two Corinthian helmets facing different directions.
It was analysed by the British Museum and is believed to date from the 4th century AD and substantially made of silver.
Mr Johnston said: “I find that David Waxman found this item in May 2010 on land at Manston owned by Sidney Rose. It’s silver and more than 300 years old and therefore it falls into the category of treasure and it is to be seized for our sovereign lady the Queen.”
The second piece was a Viking ring fragment that may have been used for bullion. A piece of iron was found between the folds of the silver finger ring.
The fragment was found by Lisa Grace from Derby close to Iwerne Minster in March 2010.
It was analysed by the British Museum and found to contain 95 per cent silver with lead and gold traces in it.
In a report from the British Museum said that: “Viking rings of similar strip form and style of decoration are recorded from a number of sites in Scandinavia.”
It continued: “The testing nicks on the present piece further confirm a date in the Viking period around the 9th or 10th century.”
The coroner said that the ring fragment, found on land owned by Philip Lever at Iwerne Minster, was treasure as it was more than 300 years old and had a precious metal content greater than 10 per cent.
The item was also seized for the Queen.
