A stunning Roman-era gold ring found on an ancient French road

Well, it’s not five gold rings, but with only two days until Christmas we’ll settle for that. Excavations of a Bronze Age settlement in northwestern France have revealed a remarkable gold ring, swords and a handful of other intriguing artifacts from the time.

INRAP – France’s National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research – is leading the excavations taking place in Brittany. The site contains Bronze Age artefacts but shows evidence of successive settlement in the 10th century. The excavations uncovered vases, terracotta fragments, swords, coins and a distinctive gold ring.

What’s more, recent work suggests that the site was part of an ancient trade route that transported goods from across the continent. During the excavation, INRAP archaeologists discovered a strip of quartz pebbles about 26 feet (8 meters) wide, which they identified as an ancient road. The sides of the road were bordered by ditches, and archaeologists identified tracks in the quartz made by wheeled vehicles. According to an INRAP release, the road probably dates from the early second century and was in use in the fourth century.

The gold ring (shown above) was found on this road and dates from around the same time period. The ring is a Roman Niccolorecognizable by the figure cut into the stone. According to the INRAP publication, the figure on the ring may be Venus the Victorious, who demonstrates victory for the wearer.

The INRAP team later found evidence that a settlement existed at the site between the 5th and 10th centuries and reached its peak between the 7th and 8th centuries. The dozen Carolingian denarius (shown at the top of the article) date from the 9th or 10th century.

Although no structures remain at the site, researchers have identified quadrangular plots in the area, separated from each other by ditches. Although some plots appear to have contained buildings, others were used for other purposes, including growing crops and being used for pasture.

The team also discovered underground storage silos, typically used to store grain, water storage pits, and other pits that appear to have been used as hearths or furnaces. Some of the ancient terracotta items used for storage or cooking also show signs of reuse in the medieval period, indicating that later inhabitants of the settlement were aware of its earlier occupation.

INRAP’s digs are just the latest in fascinating archaeological research from France this year. In April another team studied victims of ritualized human sacrifice in the Rhone Valley and found that the practice was widespread throughout Europe during the Neolithic. To read more about this year’s stunning archaeological finds, take a look our 2024 recap.