Ancient Roman ring found by Israeli teen on family hike

Yair Whiteson, a 13-year-old boy from Haifa, made an extraordinary discovery during a walk with his father on Mount Carmel. The teenager, interested in fossils, noticed a small green object near the ancient quarry below Khirbet Shalala, known as the Mishmar HaCarmel farm.

The inconspicuous object turned out to be extremely valuable. "It was corroded, and at first, I thought it was just a rusty bolt. 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 teenager recounts in an interview with the media.

An expert from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) confirmed the boy's suspicions. "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," explained Nir Distelfeld and Eitan Klein from the IAA.

Experts, including Professor Shua Amorai-Stark, a specialist in ancient rings and amulets, identified the figure on the ring as Minerva, the Roman goddess of war, known in Greek mythology as Athena. Minerva was considered the goddess of war, military strategy, and wisdom. Her popularity during the Roman period in modern-day Israel was significant.

According to archaeologists, the ring likely belonged to a woman or girl living in the late Roman period (2nd-3rd century AD) on a nearby Roman farm. However, it could also be a burial trace. Regardless of its origin, this find sheds new light on the daily life and beliefs of people living in these areas almost two thousand years ago.

The teenager's discovery will be presented during national archaeological tours organized by the IAA, allowing the wider public to see this fascinating artifact from the past.