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Date: |
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Description: | 2006 T588
Report by Martin Henig:
"The ring i made of gold with a hoop flattened at one point to make an ovoid bezel, upon which is roughly incised the form of a palm branch. The type is well attested in the Campanian cities overwhelmed by the erruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 with examples from Pompeii (d'Ambrosio and De Carolis 1997, 39 no. 65, tav.vii), Herculaneum (d'Ambrosio and De Carolis 1997, 96 no. 299, tav. xxx) and Oplontis (d'Ambrosio and De Carolis 1997, 71 no. 224, 225, tav. xxiii). The diameter of the rings vary from some 14mm to 20mm or so, but the smallest of them like the last cited were probably intended to be worn by children or young adolecents, who should technically have been from families of Equestrian status, allowing for the wearing of a gold ring. The palm is emblematic of victory, including over the Evil Eye, and was intended to keep the wearer safe from any harm that threatened her or him.
A gold ring of this form is recorded to have been found at All Hallows Church, Lombard Street in London and to have been in the London Museum, although it cannot now be traced (Wheeler 1930, 98 no. 2, fig. 30). It too is assigned to the 1st century. There is another gold ring with a palm engraved on it from a 3rd century context at Verulamium, Hertfordshire (Henig in Frere 1984, 18-19, fig. 4 no.1, pl. 1 a and b), and I have suspected it might be later in date, perhaps as late as 2nd or 3rd century, as also is the case of the ring from Carlisle, Cumbria (Dalton 1912, 4 no. 15 and figure) where the palm is accompanied by the legend "AMA ME" ('Love me!).
If the ring can be associated with the fort at Doncaster it would be of considerable importance; as the most likely Equestrian family, indeed the only family which could legitimately have been found there, was that of the commandant of the unit and the ring must in that case have been the valued possession, no doubt, of his young wife or more likely his child.
Martin Henig
Nov 2006" | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Cooper, Amy - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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pendant
Casr opper-alloy heraldic horse-harness pendant…
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