- Archaeology
The Gosfield seal is made of a medieval silver seal bezel surrounding an ancient Roman gemstone.
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A metal detectorist found a rare medieval seal in Essex, England.
(Image credit: Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service (CC-BY 2.0))
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A medieval seal with a blood-red gemstone that was discovered in the U.K. is hiding an ancient secret, researchers have found.
A metal detectorist discovered the medieval seal in Gosfield, in the eastern county of Essex, in the fall of 2024. But a recent analysis of the seal by experts with the U.K.'s Portable Antiquities Scheme has revealed that the 800-year-old object prominently featured a 2,000-year-old Roman gemstone at its center.
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The silver seal is just 1 inch (27.5 millimeters) long, and the entire keepsake weighs 0.23 ounces (6.44 grams), according to the entry for the artifact in the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. A loop attached to one end of the oval seal suggests it was suspended, perhaps on a necklace, rather than being a signet ring.
Around the bezel, there's a mirror-image inscription that reads "SECRETUM.RICARDI," meaning "Richard's secret" or the "secret [seal] of Richard," along with a cross pattée, a plus-shaped Christian symbol commonly used in medieval times by the Knights Templar.
The center of the Gosfield seal features a piece of carnelian, a brownish-red semiprecious stone, engraved with the image of a two-horse chariot. A charioteer stands on the back of the cart, holding the reins and a whip, suggesting he is competing in an ancient circus race. The carved gemstone dates to the late first century B.C. or early first century A.D., making it at least 1,200 years older than the metal seal matrix.
The mirror-image engraving and intaglio chariot design would appear the right way when Richard pressed it into wax as his seal.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter nowContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.RELATED STORIES—Medieval gold ring found in castle in Slovakia has rare purple sapphire imported from Sri Lanka
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Rogerson said Richard might have specifically chosen the Roman gemstone to show his knowledge of the classical world and his ability to procure something from a faraway place and time.
"It definitely would have been an indicator of the owner's social status," Rogerson told the BBC, "and indicated they were quite important — or saw themselves as quite important."
The Gosfield seal has been submitted for consideration as treasure under the U.K.'s Treasure Act of 1996, since it is made of silver and more than 300 years old. The Braintree Museum in Essex hopes to acquire the object following a treasure inquest.
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Kristina KillgroveSocial Links NavigationStaff writerKristina Killgrove is a staff writer at Live Science with a focus on archaeology and paleoanthropology news. Her articles have also appeared in venues such as Forbes, Smithsonian, and Mental Floss. Kristina holds a Ph.D. in biological anthropology and an M.A. in classical archaeology from the University of North Carolina, as well as a B.A. in Latin from the University of Virginia, and she was formerly a university professor and researcher. She has received awards from the Society for American Archaeology and the American Anthropological Association for her science writing.
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