Gold spiral ring

This article is from World Archaeology issue 108

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What is it?

This small spiral made of gold wire was found in an Early Bronze Age grave in Germany dated to between c.1850 and 1700 BC.

The object consists of a piece of flat wire, about 6cm long, which has been double-laid and wrapped twice around a flexible core to bend it into a spiral ring. The ring is 5.1mm tall, with an uneven diameter of 11.3-11.7mm, and weighs just 0.6g.

There are signs of usage around the ring, and the edges of the wire are rounded, possibly by repeated rubbing against hair or fabric. It is thought that the ring is probably a hair ornament, and its position at the hip level of the burial may indicate that it was woven into a braid.

Where was it found and when?

The ring was found in autumn 2020 during excavations of an Early Bronze Age female burial near Ammerbuch-Reusten, Tübingen, south-west Germany. The burial was oriented west–east, with the woman placed in a foetal position – a style found in many late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age burials in central Europe. Located nearby is a group of other Early Bronze Age burials, as well as the prehistoric hilltop settlement of Kirchberg. This burial’s isolated location suggests that it may originally have been covered by a tumulus, although no traces of this remain.

The spiral ring was the only grave good in the burial, found on the left side of the woman’s body, but nonetheless indicates that she was a wealthy and high-status individual.

Why does it matter?

This ring is a significant discovery because it represents the earliest gold object from a clear and well-dated context discovered in this region so far. Precious metal finds from the Early Bronze Age are very rare in south-western Germany, and those that have previously been identified are mostly made of bronze.