A Polish history enthusiast has discovered a medieval ring engraved with sixteen runic symbols in the village of Quadring, UK. The find was reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), a database of privately discovered archaeological objects.
The find was made by Rafał Wesołowski, a metal detectorist from Boston, who uncovered the artefact in a field in the South Holland area in May 2024. “While searching in the village of Quadring, Lincolnshire, I came across a rare early medieval silver ring bearing a runic inscription,” he told HeritageDaily.
The discovery has since been recorded in the Portable Antiquities Scheme database, which documents archaeological objects found by members of the public, including those recovered through metal detecting. The information gathered contributes to ongoing research and academic study.
According to the database description, the object is a silver-gilt finger ring with a runic inscription, dating from the 8th to the 10th century (c. AD 700 to 1000). The ring measures just over 23 mm in diameter and slightly more than 7 mm in width. Its outer surface is decorated with sixteen runic symbols arranged from left to right. The full meaning of the inscription remains unknown.
A database review by Martin Findell and Jasmin Higgs of the University of Nottingham indicates that this ring belongs to a small group of known early medieval rings bearing runic inscriptions. This group includes an example from Kingmoor, dating to the same period, which may have had magical or amuletic significance. Another comparable object, the Wheatley Hill ring, is held by the British Museum and dates to the 8th century.
The Quadring ring is engraved with a sequence of sixteen runic characters, precisely rendered in fine, predominantly straight lines that terminate in small punched dots. These dots, likely made using a centre punch, closely resemble those seen on other runic rings, including the Wheatley Hill example.
The inner surface of the ring shows no traces of inscriptions or deliberate markings. In addition to the runes, a cross marking the beginning of the text and a symbol functioning as a separator or punctuation mark are visible, according to researchers from the University of Nottingham.
“I didn’t know exactly what it was, but I immediately felt it was something special. The thought that someone over a thousand years ago could have worn this ring, not just as jewellery but as something meaningful or protective, is incredible,” Wesołowski said, as quoted by the BBC.
Archaeologist Lisa Brundle, a PAS finds officer at Lincolnshire County Council, told the BBC that other artefacts discovered at the same site, including a late Anglo-Saxon buckle, may indicate the presence of a previously unknown early medieval archaeological site. “Together, these discoveries point to a community of considerable status and may even suggest the presence of a literate elite,” she said.
According to Dr Brundle, the artefact, designated as treasure by Lincolnshire authorities, could eventually be displayed at Lincoln Museum, where “it could enrich our understanding of the early medieval past.”
Source: Portable Antiquities Scheme
