Roman-era ring, engraved with image of goddess, found abandoned in Israel's ancient quarry

A 1,800-year-old Roman-era ring was found by a teenager who was hiking in northern Israel. The ring had an image of a Roman goddess holding a sword and spear engraved onit.

The ring looks like is made of bronze and has a depiction of Minerva - who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Athena and only wears a helmet.

During the Roman period, Minerva was a popular goddess in the region and was "considered, among other things, as the goddess of war and military strategy, and also as the goddess of wisdom," said Nir Distelfeld, inspector at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) Theft Prevention Unit, andEitan Klein, of the IAA's Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery, in astatement.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Also Read:Human remains dating back to 7th century discovered at a hotel in UK

Teen explains how he stumbled upon the ring

The 13-year-old Yair Whiteson discovered the ring when he was hiking with his father in the region of Haifa.

The father and son were crossing an ancient quarry on Mount Carmel when Yair, who has a passion for collecting interesting fossils and rocks, saw a "small green item" on the ground.

In a statement, Yair said, "It was corroded, and at first, I thought it was just a rusty bolt. I thought about heating it, but then fortunately I understood it was a ring. At home, I saw it had an image on it. At first glance, I thought it was a warrior."

Subsequently, his family reached out to the IAA who sent the artefactto Israel's National Treasures Department.

All about the Roman-era ring

According to the researchers, the small ring must have belonged to a girl or woman during the LateRomanperiod (second to third centuries AD).

The ring was discovered in Khirbet Shalala, which is an archaeological site on a hilltop close to the quarry which is filled with the remains of a Roman-period farmstead.

Watch:Italian PM Giorgia Meloni likely to visit China in July end

"There are two burial caves on the quarry's edge," said Distelfeld and Klein, in the statement.

"The ring may have belonged to a woman who lived on this farm. Or, it might have fallen from a quarry worker, or it may have been a burial offering from these nearby graves. There are many possibilities," itadded.

The ring will be put on display at the Archaeology of Israel's Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus in Jerusalem.

(With inputs from agencies)