A Teenager Discovered a Ring on a Hike—Turns Out, It’s 1,800 Years Old

• Luke Whiteson, a 13-year-old aspiring archaeologist from Haifa, Israel, found a 1,800-year-old ring while hiking near an archaeological site on Mount Carmel.
• Experts with the Israel Antiquities Authority confirmed that the ring bears an engraving of the Roman goddess Minerva, and was probably either a personal item or a burial offering.
• The ring has been added to the collection of other artifacts found at the site, and Whiteson has been given a certificate recognizing his role in expanding Israel’s collection of antiquities.

A 13-year-old boy discovered a Roman ring featuring the image of the goddess Minerva while taking a hike near his house.

The 1,800-year-old ring was found in Haifa, a city situated along the Mediterranean Sea coast, just an hour north of Tel Aviv.

The object had some markings engraved into it, and it turned out to be a ring.

They surprisingly came to a similar assessment as Whiteson’s own.

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Archaeologists say that Minerva was well-known in the area at the time. While they can’t be certain who owned the ring, it’s likely that it belonged to a woman or a girl who lived at what’s now known as the Khirbet Shalala archeological site on Mount Carmel. This site sits on a hill and features a Roman-era house and rock quarry. It’s also possible that the ring was left as an offering at the person’s grave, since the site has nearby graves. The ring is now joining the other artifacts that have been discovered at the site.

ambitions.

He shows a great sense of responsibility and respect for our heritage,” Eli Escozido, director of the Antiquities Authority, said in a press statement. “He told us that he wants to be an archaeologist in the future, and we would like to save a place of honor for him here.

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