The 13-year-old boy was walking, not far from his house, when his eyes fell on something that “shined”. He got closer and realized it was a ring. He dug around and dug it up. Then he realized that the design that was engraved on him was confusing something, so he decided to talk to his parents.
The find came to light in the area of Mount Carmel, the coastal mountain range in Northern Israel. 13-year-old Yair Whiteson, from Haifa, had not left his home when he found the ancient ring, which dates back some 1,800 years.
The find, decorated with the incised image of the Roman goddess Minerva, as the ancient Romans called the goddess Athena, has sparked intense interest in the archaeological community. Yair was exploring the ancient quarry below Mount Khirbet Shalala, also known as the Mishmar HaCarmel estate, when his eyes “fell” on an unusual sight.
The young man picked up the small, green object he noticed from the ground. Corroded as it was, at first Yair thought he had a rusty bolt in his hands. “I thought about melting it down, but luckily I realized it was a ring after all. Later, at home, I also noticed the depiction on it. At first it seemed to me that it is the form of a warrior,” Yair recounts.
The figure of the Roman goddess Athena on the ring
The Whiteson family then contacted inspector Nir Distelfeld, from the theft prevention division of the Israel Archaeological Service (IAA). The ring was later taken to the national treasures department, where it was analyzed and dated, with the assistance of Professor Shua-Amorai Stark, from Kaye College, who specializes in ancient rings and amulets.
For their contributions to culture, Yair and his family were honored with the Distinguished Citizen Commendation at a ceremony held in their honor at the new Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Archeology Campus Museum.
Nir Dirstelfeld and Dr. explain the significance of the finding. Eitan Klein, from the IAA’s Theft Prevention Unit: This beautiful ring, immaculately preserved, depicts the form of a naked, helmeted figure.
In one hand, the figure holds a shield, while in the other she holds a spear.
Of course, Yair’s initial guess, that the ring represents the figure of a warrior, is not far from reality. It is probably about the goddess Athena, who had a prominent position both in the Roman pantheon and in Greek mythology.
This particular area especially honored the goddess Athena, the goddess of war, strategy, and wisdom. It is likely that the small bronze ring belonged to a woman of the late Roman period, somewhere between 2The and the 3The century AD
The area where the ring was found
The site of the discovery, below Khirbet Shalala, is on a hill, where remains of Roman-era crops have been found. An ancient quarry has been found in an adjacent area.
Two burial caves have been found at the edge of the quarry, suggesting several possible origins of the ring. Perhaps it belonged to a resident of the area, perhaps to a quarry worker, or it may have been a burial offering, since graves have also been found there, the researchers explain.
Khirbet Shalala, the archaeological site located next to the site of the discovery of the ring, is located on a hill in the center of Mount Carmel. It borders on three points with the archaeological site Nahal Oren, and with the eternal spring Ein Alon.
The site has been explored and recorded in the past by surveyors from the Palestine Exploration Fund – in particular, by the eminent Israeli archaeologist, Ruth Amiran, and an expedition from Bar-Ilan University, led by Mount Carmel expert Professor Shimon Dar .
Distelfeld and Dr. Dr. Klein, point out that, the ring has provided valuable information to the already existing data, from earlier excavations and studies at Khirbet Shalala. “Now, the ring connects existing data from excavations with earlier studies and sheds light on the archaeological site.”they note.
Source: www.enikos.gr
