Archeologists Uncover Ancient Gold Ring Portraying the Face of Christ
Archeologists recently discovered an ancient gold ring inscribed with the face of Jesus Christ in “almost new condition” among 30,000 other medieval archaeological objects in southeast Sweden. As reported by The Christian Post, the discoveries were made at the coastal city of Kalmar during an excavation plan including 50 medieval plots, about ten streets, and parts of the old city wall in Gamla Stan.
“In total, over 30,000 objects have been found. …It is very unusual for such large contiguous areas to be investigated in the middle of a city and the result is beyond all expectation,” an announcement made by The Archaeologists, an entity that operates under the umbrella of the National Historical Museums, reads.
Additional findings included hundreds of buildings, cellars, streets, latrines, and everyday objects from 400 years ago, approximately between 1250 to 1650, that were recovered in a two-year span in central Kalmar. Magnus Stibéus, project manager of The Archaeologists, shared that the excavation has given archeologists insight into people who lived during medieval history.
“We have been able to lift the lid on the city’s Middle Ages and have had the opportunity to study how people lived, what they ate and drank, and how this changed over time,” Stibéus said in a statement.
“Archeology becomes like a peephole into medieval history that allows us to learn more about how life was several hundred years ago.”
Stibéus also shared that the gold ring was one of two “spectacular” discoveries made prior to the excavation’s completion, with the other artifact being an alsengem, or small glass stone, believed to have been used as a pilgrim amulet.
“The gold ring was in almost new condition with a Christ motif and was found, like the alsengem, in contexts that we interpreted as waste storage. Probably someone was unlucky and lost the ring 500 years ago,” Stibéus said. “The alsengemet is broken and may have been thrown away.”
“The gold ring with the carved figure of Christ dates back to the beginning of the 15th century. That type of ring may have been worn by a woman because it is quite small. Some similar rings have been found in Northern Finland, Östergötland, and Uppland,” Stibéus continued.
“The alsengem archaeologists have found in Kalmar dates to the 13th to 14th centuries and has three carved figures.”
Several other findings include remains of a rune stone that possibly came from a 12th-century burial mound in a cemetery in Kalmar. Another discovery was a black cat paw print, as were “traces of the Kalmar War in 1611.”
Image Credit: ©Getty Images/Keni1
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
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