Written by Sharvan Kumar
Recently discovered close to the Scottish coast was a "remarkable" ring at least a millennium old. And rather than some seasoned archeologist discovering this ancient piece of jewelry, it was a self-described "enthusiastic volunteer."
68-year-old former engineer John Ralph had started out just trying to maximize his leisure time. "My sister still lives in Burghead and it seemed intriguing so I thought why not.
I had recently retired and noticed a post calling for volunteers to help with the Burghead excavations. I have now spent two weeks joining three separate digs there.
Thought to have been a hamlet acting as "a significant seat of power" during the Pictish monarchy between 500 and 1000 CE
the region under excavation is Ralph first felt he was making amazing discoveries after more amazing discoveries, only to be informed by the visiting specialists he had just discovered some sparkling pebbles.
"I had found a few interesting items including bone pins and it was great being part of the team, which was the real draw. I thoroughly enjoyed them all but my initial enthusiasm for finds was slightly dented by my knack of getting excited for shiny pebbles." Ralph said.
That changed, though, when Ralph was only tidying the floor of a building. He first noticed a metal pin then, "lo and behold, there was the ring."
"There are very few Pictish rings which have ever been discovered and those we know about usually come from hoards which were placed in the ground deliberately for safekeeping in some way," Noble said, adding, "this surprising discovery was made all the more remarkable."
From East West Hunt