27 February 2026 The Future is the Product of the Past

1,800-Year-Old Gold Ring with ‘Venus the Victorious’ Carving and Carolingian Coins Discovered in France

Archaeologists from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) have discovered a 1,800-year-old gold ring with a chiseled portrait of Venus the Victorious, a Roman goddess associated with victory in battle, and a handful of coins from a much later period when the Carolingian Empire ruled the region in the town of Pacé (Brittany, France).

The discovery was part of an extensive excavation that uncovered artifacts and settlements spanning the Late Bronze Age to the medieval period.

The ring was found in an “exceptional state of preservation” near the town of Pacé, in Brittany, according to a translated statement from the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP).

The Roman gold ring, dated between the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE was discovered along a stretch of a Roman-origin road, studied as part of the excavation. Constructed between the second and fourth centuries CE, this communication route is notable for its structure, which is a layer of quartz gravel covering the natural ground with lateral ditches lining its course. Its extensive use in antiquity is attested to by visible wheel ruts.

The gold ring features a finely chiseled mount and an intaglio crafted from Nicolo, a type of onyx with a bluish surface over a black base. The gemstone features a finely carved representation of Venus Victrix, symbolizing beauty and strength. Such jewelry often served as both personal adornments and seals for Roman elites, signifying status and carrying spiritual significance.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Carolingian coins discovered at the site. Credit: Coline Herbert / INRAP
Carolingian coins discovered at the site. Credit: Coline Herbert / INRAP

In addition to facilitating trade and travel, Roman infrastructure, such as the road where the ring was located, linked rural communities with urban centers.

Archaeologists discovered the remains of a medieval hamlet from the fifth to the tenth centuries next to the Roman road. With its quadrangular plots connected by pathways, this settlement featured homes, pastures, agricultural land, and grain storage silos. The use of wood, earth, and plant-based roofing materials in many of the structures provides information about medieval construction methods.

One particularly remarkable discovery was a cache of twelve Carolingian silver coins from the ninth or tenth century. These coins, discovered in a remarkable condition of preservation, may have been deposited during the Viking Age when Viking raids were putting pressure on the Carolingian Empire. Whether Viking activity was the direct cause of the settlement’s abandonment by the tenth century is still unknown.

Evidence of earlier periods of occupation was also found at the site. Pottery fragments from the Late Bronze Age and terracotta molds used to make bronze were found in pits in the northern sector. These molds, which were probably used to make swords and other weapons, suggest an unidentified workshop. Two tiny enclosures, one of which may have been an Early Iron Age funerary circle, were discovered in another location.

From a Bronze Age settlement to a medieval hamlet and, by the Late Middle Ages, to an area centered on agriculture, this excavation has yielded important insights into the patterns of settlement, agricultural practices, and technological developments over millennia.

INRAP

Cover Image Credit: Emmanuelle Collado / INRAP

Related Articles

A new study reveals more than one person was buried in a tomb where the famous Nestor’s Cup was found

6 October 2021

6 October 2021

The Tomb of Nestor’s Cup, a burial that contained one of the oldest known Greek inscriptions, was more crowded than...

What Did Mummies Smell Like in Ancient Egypt? The Surprisingly Pleasant Results Revealed

1 April 2025

1 April 2025

A groundbreaking study led by researchers from University College London’s Institute for Sustainable Heritage and the University of Ljubljana has...

The Cowboys History Forgot: Archaeologists Trace the Chinese Cowboys of the American West

31 January 2026

31 January 2026

Archaeologists uncover forgotten Chinese cowboys in Eastern Oregon, revealing how Chinese immigrants shaped ranching, buckaroo culture, and the American West....

Archaeologists Find the “Lost” House of the Last Anglo-Saxon King Depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry

28 January 2025

28 January 2025

A team from Newcastle University and the University of Exeter have uncovered evidence that a house in England is the...

Bone tools for bleeding cows discovered in a 7,000-year-old cemetery in Sudan

24 March 2023

24 March 2023

During excavations in the Letti basin in northern Sudan, archaeologists have unearthed 7,000-year-old bone tools used to bleed cows. Explorers...

Türkiye’s Neolithic Settlement Çayönü Hill Discovered New Tombs from Early Bronze Age

4 September 2023

4 September 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed 5 more tombs dating to the Early Bronze Age during the recent excavations on Çayönü Hill in...

2000-year-old dagger reveals the site of a long-forgotten battle between the Roman Empire and tribal warriors

16 December 2023

16 December 2023

In Switzerland, a volunteer archaeologist and dental student Lucas Schmid discovered in 2019 a 2000-year-old silver and brass dagger. It...

Archaeologists Uncover a 2,500-Year-Old Monumental Solstice Sanctuary in Spain

24 September 2025

24 September 2025

In the hills near the Andalusian town of Jódar, Spain, archaeologists have uncovered a monumental solstice sanctuary where the sun...

Found Home of the Legendary Viking Woman Who Crossed the Atlantic 500 Years Before Columbus

11 March 2021

11 March 2021

Archaeologists in Iceland recently excavated a farm believed to belong to the legendary Viking woman Gudrid Torbjörnsdottir. She is believed...

Spanish Stonehenge re-emerges from the ‘Valdecañas reservoir’

19 August 2022

19 August 2022

Submerged by the Valdecañas reservoir for decades, the Guadalperal dolmen has been fully exposed as it was two summers ago....

Early Roman Aqueduct Discovered in Turkey’s Aydın Province

27 May 2021

27 May 2021

In the Kuşadasi region of western Turkey’s Aydin, archaeologists and scholars unearthed an approximately 2,000-year-old ancient Roman aqueduct. Experts believe...

Ukrainian Stonehenge

6 July 2021

6 July 2021

It has almost become a tradition to compare the structures surrounded by stones to the Stonehenge monument. This ancient cemetery,...

A basement discovered on the premises of the ruins of Hitoyoshi Castle in Japan could be a Jewish bathing facility!

7 December 2022

7 December 2022

Experts are still indecisive about why there was a bathing area in the basement which was discovered on the site...

Modern CT Technology Unveils Hidden Inscription on a Renaissance Sword

28 October 2025

28 October 2025

In a remarkable fusion of history, archaeology, and cutting-edge technology, researchers from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and INNOVENT e.V....

40 Skeletons in Giant Jars Found in the Corsica Necropolis

16 May 2021

16 May 2021

Archaeologists working on the French island of Corsica discovered around 40 ancient graves where persons were buried inside gigantic jars...