A volunteer named John Ralph, who was participating in an archaeological dig at Burghead fort in Scotland, spent weeks diligently searching without any notable discoveries. After 30 days, however, Ralph’s efforts paid off, leading to a find he describes as a mix of “relief, disbelief and happiness.”
“The dig was my fifth dig of the season. I had dug for more than 30 days and had found very little of interest,” Ralph told Digital in an email.
“Once I found out what I had found, I felt lucky and privileged to have found something so important,” Ralph said.
Ralph’s discovery turned out to be an ancient Pictish ring that had been untouched for over a thousand years, according to a Sept. 4 news release from the University of Aberdeen. The ring resembles a kite in shape, with a red detail at its center.
Picts were an ancient people who inhabited what is now eastern and northeastern Scotland, according to Britannica. Their history remains largely unknown, with limited evidence of their presence, according to the University of Aberdeen.
Professor Gordon Noble has overseen excavations at Burghead for the past three years. Ralph, a former engineer and University of Aberdeen alumnus, became a volunteer at one of the digs after seeing a Facebook post seeking assistance.
“I always had an interest in archaeology, and having recently retired and coming out of COVID, I was looking for something interesting to do,” Ralph said. “I saw a call on Facebook for volunteers for the dig at Burghead, and since it was the town I was raised in and my sister stays there, I just thought, ‘Why not?’”
Noble deemed Ralph’s find “truly remarkable,” per the news release.
“There are very few Pictish rings which have ever been discovered and those we do know about usually come from hoards which were placed in the ground deliberately for safekeeping in some way,” Noble said, per the press release. “We certainly weren’t expecting to find something like this lying around the floor of what was once a house but that had appeared of low significance so, in typical fashion, we had left work on it until the final day of the dig.”
The ring is now in the care of the National Museum of Scotland’s Post-excavation Service, where researchers are working to uncover more information about this ancient artifact.
“We will now look at the ring, evidence of buildings and other artifacts to consider whether the ring was crafted on the site and who such an important piece of jewelry might have been made for,” Noble said, according to the press release.
Ralph’s experience as a volunteer at archaeological digs has taught him much, including the physically demanding nature of the work that often leads to these discoveries.
“Pictures of archaeologists gently trowelling at the ground can give an impression of easy work, but in truth some aspects of an excavation can be physically demanding,” Ralph told Digital. “You are also required to be vigilant for changes of ground patterns, features and artifacts; so a good workout physically and mentally.”