An amateur treasure hunter used a metal detector to unearth a 1,800-year-old gold Roman signet ring in Somerset.
Pest control officer Jason Massey, 45, discovered the rare piece of jewellery, which features an engraving of the Roman goddess of Victory, in a field near Crewkerne.
It is believed to have belonged to a 'high status' figure, potentially making it one of the most significant archaeological finds in Somerset's history.
Amateur treasure hunter, 45, unearths a 1,800-year-old Roman signet ring engraved with the goddess of Victory in a field in Somerset
Jason Massey, 45, found the rare piece of jewellery in a field near Crewkerne
It is believed to have belonged to a Roman figure of 'high status', experts said
The rare gold artefact is believed to date from around 200 to 300 AD
By Harry Pettit For Mailonline
2 August 2018
An amateur treasure hunter used a metal detector to unearth a 1,800-year-old gold Roman signet ring in Somerset.
Pest control officer Jason Massey, 45, discovered the rare piece of jewellery, which features an engraving of the Roman goddess of Victory, in a field near Crewkerne.
It is believed to have belonged to a 'high status' figure, potentially making it one of the most significant archaeological finds in Somerset's history.
The current value of the ancient piece of jewellery is still being determined.
An amateur metal detectorist has unearthed a 1,800-year-old gold Roman signet ring in Somerset
The ring is now in the hands of experts at the British Museum in London.
It is believed to date from 200 to 300 AD.
Mr Massey, who served in the British armed forces from 1989 to 1992, made the find at a site believed to have once been a high-status Roman villa as part of a charitable dig with the 'Detecting for Veterans' group.
'The Somerset Archaeological team think we have found a very high status villa complex, but more investigative work is needed,' he told MailOnline.
Mr Massey and the landowner will share 50 per cent of any profits made from the ring once British Museum researchers had determined its value.
'We have no idea how much [the ring] is worth – there is nothing like it in the UK,' he said.
Pest control officer Jason Massey (left), 45, discovered the rare piece of jewellery, which features an engraving of the Roman god Victory
Detecting for Veterans unearthed 60 other Roman coins on Sunday as part of ongoing excavations at the Crewkerne site, which is south west of Yeovil.
Bronze and silver coins are more common than their gold counterparts, which were typically owned by Romans of rich and powerful stature.
Ciorstaidh Hayward-Trevarthen, finds liaison officer for South West Heritage Trust, told BBC News: 'There are a couple of gold rings of that sort of date from Somerset but they're not common.
Mr Massey made the find at a site in Crewkerne, Somerset, that is believed to have been a high-status Roman villa
'Gold is ... an indication that the owner is fairly wealthy.'
The newly-discovered ring features an engraving of Victoria, the Roman god of Victory, riding a chariot pulled by two horses.
Victoria appears widely on Roman coins, jewellery, architecture, and other arts, and is often depicted with or in a chariot.
WHEN DID THE ROMANS OCCUPY BRITAIN?
55BC - Julius Caesar crossed the channel with around 10,000 soldiers. They landed at a beach in Deal and were met by a force of Britons. Caesar was forced to withdraw.
54BC - Caesar crossed the channel with 27,000 infantry and cavalry. Again they landed at deal but were unopposed. They marched inland and after hard battles they defeated the Britons and key tribal leaders surrendered.
However, later that year, Caesar was forced to return to Gaul to deal with problems there and the Romans left.
54BC - 43BC - Although there were no Romans present in Britain during these years, their influence increased due to trade links.
43AD - A Roman force of 40,000 led by Aulus Plautius landed in Kent and took the south east. The emperor Claudius arrived in Colchester with reinforcements. Claudius appointed Plautius as Governor of Britain and returned to Rome.
47AD - Londinium (London) was founded and Britain was declared part of the Roman empire. Networks of roads were built across the country.
75 - 77AD - Romans defeated the last resistant tribes, making all Britain Roman. Many Britons started adopting Roman customs and law.
122AD - Emperor Hadrian ordered that a wall be built between England and Scotland to keep Scottish tribes out.
312AD - Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal throughout the Roman empire.
228AD - The Romans were being attacked by barbarian tribes and soldiers stationed in the country started to be recalled to Rome.
410AD - All Romans were recalled to Rome and Emperor Honorious told Britons they no longer had a connection to Rome.
Source: History on the net
Amateur treasure hunter unearths a 1,800-year-old Roman signet ring in Somerset | Daily Mail Online
Pest control officer Jason Massey, 45, discovered the rare piece of jewellery, which features an engraving of the Roman goddess of Victory, in a field near Crewkerne.
It is believed to have belonged to a 'high status' figure, potentially making it one of the most significant archaeological finds in Somerset's history.
Amateur treasure hunter, 45, unearths a 1,800-year-old Roman signet ring engraved with the goddess of Victory in a field in Somerset
Jason Massey, 45, found the rare piece of jewellery in a field near Crewkerne
It is believed to have belonged to a Roman figure of 'high status', experts said
The rare gold artefact is believed to date from around 200 to 300 AD
By Harry Pettit For Mailonline
2 August 2018
An amateur treasure hunter used a metal detector to unearth a 1,800-year-old gold Roman signet ring in Somerset.
Pest control officer Jason Massey, 45, discovered the rare piece of jewellery, which features an engraving of the Roman goddess of Victory, in a field near Crewkerne.
It is believed to have belonged to a 'high status' figure, potentially making it one of the most significant archaeological finds in Somerset's history.
The current value of the ancient piece of jewellery is still being determined.
An amateur metal detectorist has unearthed a 1,800-year-old gold Roman signet ring in Somerset
The ring is now in the hands of experts at the British Museum in London.
It is believed to date from 200 to 300 AD.
Mr Massey, who served in the British armed forces from 1989 to 1992, made the find at a site believed to have once been a high-status Roman villa as part of a charitable dig with the 'Detecting for Veterans' group.
'The Somerset Archaeological team think we have found a very high status villa complex, but more investigative work is needed,' he told MailOnline.
Mr Massey and the landowner will share 50 per cent of any profits made from the ring once British Museum researchers had determined its value.
'We have no idea how much [the ring] is worth – there is nothing like it in the UK,' he said.
Pest control officer Jason Massey (left), 45, discovered the rare piece of jewellery, which features an engraving of the Roman god Victory
Detecting for Veterans unearthed 60 other Roman coins on Sunday as part of ongoing excavations at the Crewkerne site, which is south west of Yeovil.
Bronze and silver coins are more common than their gold counterparts, which were typically owned by Romans of rich and powerful stature.
Ciorstaidh Hayward-Trevarthen, finds liaison officer for South West Heritage Trust, told BBC News: 'There are a couple of gold rings of that sort of date from Somerset but they're not common.
Mr Massey made the find at a site in Crewkerne, Somerset, that is believed to have been a high-status Roman villa
'Gold is ... an indication that the owner is fairly wealthy.'
The newly-discovered ring features an engraving of Victoria, the Roman god of Victory, riding a chariot pulled by two horses.
Victoria appears widely on Roman coins, jewellery, architecture, and other arts, and is often depicted with or in a chariot.
WHEN DID THE ROMANS OCCUPY BRITAIN?
55BC - Julius Caesar crossed the channel with around 10,000 soldiers. They landed at a beach in Deal and were met by a force of Britons. Caesar was forced to withdraw.
54BC - Caesar crossed the channel with 27,000 infantry and cavalry. Again they landed at deal but were unopposed. They marched inland and after hard battles they defeated the Britons and key tribal leaders surrendered.
However, later that year, Caesar was forced to return to Gaul to deal with problems there and the Romans left.
54BC - 43BC - Although there were no Romans present in Britain during these years, their influence increased due to trade links.
43AD - A Roman force of 40,000 led by Aulus Plautius landed in Kent and took the south east. The emperor Claudius arrived in Colchester with reinforcements. Claudius appointed Plautius as Governor of Britain and returned to Rome.
47AD - Londinium (London) was founded and Britain was declared part of the Roman empire. Networks of roads were built across the country.
75 - 77AD - Romans defeated the last resistant tribes, making all Britain Roman. Many Britons started adopting Roman customs and law.
122AD - Emperor Hadrian ordered that a wall be built between England and Scotland to keep Scottish tribes out.
312AD - Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal throughout the Roman empire.
228AD - The Romans were being attacked by barbarian tribes and soldiers stationed in the country started to be recalled to Rome.
410AD - All Romans were recalled to Rome and Emperor Honorious told Britons they no longer had a connection to Rome.
Source: History on the net
Amateur treasure hunter unearths a 1,800-year-old Roman signet ring in Somerset | Daily Mail Online
