File:GLO-37A922 Roman Gold Ear Ring (FindID 583736).jpg

The ring is composed of three tapering, square-sectioned rods twisted together, which are thicker at the front, while at the back the ends are hammered flat together into a plain, narrow band; diameter, 27mm (max); width, 26mm.

Gold rings of twisted type from the British Isles and Scandinavia are dated from the late Saxon/Viking periods into the early Middle Ages, from the late 9th century into the 12th, although more usually their rods are of circular section. But rings of square-section gold rods (usually two) do also occur in the British Isles and may be a local form, including a substantial example from Balmer (formerly Bormer), near Falmer, East Sussex, in the British Museum, while a broken example from the Bexhill area was reported as Treasure in 2003 (Treasure Annual Report 2003, no. 111; J. Graham-Campbell, 2011, The Cuerdale Hoard and related Viking-Age silver and gold from Britain and Ireland in the British Museum, London, British Museum Press, 107-109, pl. 82: 26).

Analysis: Surface metal analysis conducted at the British Museum indicated a gold content for the ring of 91-92% and a silver content of approximately 8-9%, the remainder being copper. The ring weighs 12.23 grams.

Barry Ager