Gold Ring

A gold hoop described by the excavator as a “money ring” but may also have been a piece of jewellery. During John Garstang’s 1909-1910 excavation season at Meroë (site no. 294) he found within a ceramic jar filled with gold dust and nuggets, three trapezoid-shaped gold spacer beads, broken glass and beads, a scarab, a flat scarab seal, and three 'money rings'. Garstang has reproductions of the trapezoid-shaped gold spacer beads made from the gold dust and nuggets found with the originals. A slip of paper with the object reads: "Mr Mond. 1oz. 2dwts. 1gr." [this equals 32.45g]. There is also a note written by the curator, Miss Elaine Tankard, May 1947, that reads: "It is probable that the weight of gold has diminished slightly, as it was originally kept loose in the velvet lined case, and small fragments were slipping out. I therefore transferred it to a cellophane wrapper when I received it from Dr. Allan."