A 1,500-year-old gold ring was uncovered in Denmark which is believed to be connected to a royal family from France. The coveted ring was found by a metal detector user named Lars Nielsen as he was exploring a parish called Emmerlev.
Upon closer inspection, the National Museum of Denmark determined that the gold ring is linked to a dynasty of French kings known as the Merovingians, who ruled over parts of modern-day France, Germany, and Belgium between the fifth and eighth centuries.
“The gold ring not only reveals a possible new princely family in Emmerlev, but also connects the area with one of Europe’s largest centers of power in the Iron Age,” Kirstine Pommergaard, a curator at the National Museum of Denmark commented, suggesting a connection between French royalty and their Danish counterparts.
At the center of the gold ring is a red stone that offers clues as to the ring’s ownership. According to its color and shape, the stone is believed to be reflective of a symbol of power in Nordic culture. There appears to be a chance that the ring arrived in the area by way of the esteemed Emmerlev royal family, which ruled over the area at the time.