In the southwest of Jutland (Denmark), a local resident named Lars Nielsen discovered a rare gold ring with the help of a metal detector. It was made in the 500s and 600s of our era and may have belonged to a representative of a previously unknown noble family with close ties to the rulers of France.

The artifact was discovered in 2020 in Emmerlöv (near the town of Ribe, which was part of the region’s medieval trade network), but the news was kept secret so that archaeologists could explore the find site without any outside interference.

The ring is made of gold and decorated with garnet, a red semi-precious stone valued by Germanic peoples as a symbol of power.

There are four spirals on the underside of the mount and trefoil handles where the belt meets the frame. Spirals and handles characterize the highest quality of Frank production. Such rings were worn by representatives of the elite of the Merovingian dynasty – Frankish kings who ruled in the Frankish state from the end of the 5th to the middle of the 8th century.

Researchers from the National Museum of Denmark suggested that the ring may have belonged to the prince’s daughter, who married the prince from Emmerlev. Presumably the decoration was part of a diplomatic gift.