This 13-Year-Old Stumbled Upon a Roman-Era Ring While Hiking in Israel

While on a hike with his father, a 13-year-old recently found a Roman-era ring with an engraving of the goddess Minerva.

Yair Whiteson made the discovery near Khirbet Shalala, an archaeological site on Mount Carmel in northern Israel. The young hiker, who loves collecting rocks and fossils, saw a “small green item” on the ground and picked it up.

“It was corroded, and at first, I thought it was just a rusty bolt,” says Whiteson in a statement from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). “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.”

The ring, which experts say is made from bronze, depicts Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, trade, the arts and warfare; her Greek counterpart is Athena. Clothed only in a helmet, she holds a shield in one hand and a spear in the other.

Shortly after the discovery, the family contacted officials at the IAA, who sent the ring to the country’s National Treasures Department. (Klein also encouraged other Israelis to report their discoveries, saying in a video that the IAA “will come and handle the artifacts in the best possible way.”)

According to officials, the artifact dates to the late Roman period (between the second and third centuries C.E.). The identity of its owner is a mystery. However, as All That’s Interesting’s Kaleena Fraga writes, “the location where Whiteson found the ring might offer a hint.” The site is near an ancient quarry, two burial caves and the remains of a Roman-era farmstead.

“The ring may have belonged to a woman who lived on this farm,” Nir Distelfeld and Eitan Klein, both from the IAA’s theft prevention unit, say in the statement. “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.”

The ring is scheduled to go on display in Jerusalem at the new Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel. Researchers hope to draw connections between the artifact and discoveries from past excavations to better understand the ancient site.

To thank Whiteson for turning over his discovery, the IAA rewarded him with a “commendation for good citizenship” and a seal made from the ring, according to Popular Mechanics’ Darren Orf. The whole family was also invited to tour the Jerusalem facility.

In another statement, Eli Escusido, director of the IAA, says he was pleased to host the family at the museum. He adds that during the visit, Whiteson expressed a desire to be an archaeologist one day.

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Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.