The gold ring found in soil during work on the high speed rail link at Ebbsfleet

by Alan Watkins

A gold ring dating back to Roman times discovered in Ebbsfleet during the building of the high-speed rail link is now in the British Museum.

The intaglio ring, from the 1st or 2nd century, was one of more than 150,000 artefacts dug up.

Others included the remains of a 400,000-year-old elephant, now destined for the Natural History Museum and an Anglo-Saxon water mill.

News of many items were announced as the dig continued, but a treasure trove inquest was held at the Old Town Hall in Gravesend, finalising details of the discoveries.

Treasure trove is a law that states that any gold or silver found hidden in the ground that cannot be traced to an owner belongs to the Crown on discovery.

It has to pass through the coroner’s court to determine how it was lost or who might have deposited it in the ground.

North west Kent coroner Roger Hatch declared that the ring, which is inset with a broken red disc, was treasure and it will now be valued.

As with all the artefacts found during the rail link works, it is in the custodianship of Kent County Council.

The owner of the land will be eligible for half its value. As a developer, High Speed 1 will not be able to claim.

The ring was discovered during rail work at Ebbsfleet

Rachel Starling, HS1 environment manager, said the ring was found in soil excavated from the Ebbsfleet river in 2003.

Speaking after the hearing, she explained the area was very rich in artefacts because it is close to the Roman Road.

Referring to the remains of the elephant, a palaeoloxodon antiquus, Ms Starling said: “Because it is of such significance, part will go to the Natural History Museum and flintwork found adjacent to the tusk is going to the British Museum.”

Other things found by archaeologists between 2000 and 2003 ranged from coins, brooches and 12,000-year-old axes to the water mill from the reign of King Wihtredcorrect of Kent in the late 7th century.

One of the most important finds at the site, known as Springhead, was an entire ancient settlement called Vagniacis. This means ‘the place of marshes’ and was built by the Celts in about 100BC and occupied by the Romans when they invaded in AD43.