A 13-year-old boy was enjoying spending time with his father when he discovered an 1,800-year-old artifact. He and his dad were hiking near the "ancient quarry" site on Mount Carmel in Israel, and Yair Whiteson, 13, noticed something small and green, he said in a statement.
After picking it up, he first thought it was "just a rusty bolt," but eventually discovered that he was actually holding a ring with an image engraved on it. He first guessed that the image depicted a "warrior," and the Israel Antiquities Authority said Whiteson's guess was not far off.
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Nir Distelfeld and Dr. Eitan Klein from the Israel Antiquities Authority said "Yair's identification of the figure as a warrior is very close to reality" but "the figure is — apparently, the goddess Minerva from Roman mythology, known also as Athena in Greek mythology."
The IAA estimates that the ring is about 1,800 years old. It seems to be made of bronze, according to the IAA.
The researchers noted that when it comes to how the ring ended up there and who it belonged to, "there are many possibilities."
"[It] probably belonged to a woman or girl during the Late Roman Period (2nd-3rd Century CE)," they theorized, adding that "the ring may have belonged to a woman who lived on this farm. Or, it might have fallen from a quarry worker, or it may have been a burial offering from these nearby graves."
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After finding the ring, Whiteson and his family were given a personal tour of the place where the ring will be displayed, per the New York Post. "I am curious about fossils and rocks and love to collect them," Whiteson said, though he and his dad ended up telling the Israel Antiquities Authority about the unexpected find.
The IAA transferred Whiteson's special discovery to the National Treasures Department. Researchers described the ring in more detail. "On this beautiful ring, preserved in its entirety, is the image of a helmeted naked figure. In one hand she holds a shield, and a spear in the other," they explained.
