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Rare Gemstone Uncovers Trade Route Between Medieval Europe And Sri Lanka

Rare Gemstone Uncovers Trade Route Between Medieval Europe And Sri Lanka

Forbes26-06-2025
The golden ring with a reddish-purple sapphire.
A medieval ring holding a rare sapphire points to a long-distance gemstone trade between Europe and Sri Lanka over 700 years ago.
The ring was found at today's Pustý hrad (meaning "deserted castle") above the city of Zvolen in Slovakia in 2001, during an illegal treasure hunt. Only 22 years later the ring was handed over to the authorities.
The 18-karat golden ring, dating from circa 1300, holds a reddish-purple sapphire gemstone with an estimated weight of about 2.00 carats. The ring is of high quality and sapphire was a rare gemstone at the time, as there are no significant deposits to be found in Europe. Wearing such a piece of jewelry must have symbolized great wealth and a high societal status.
Noémi Beljak Pažinová, researcher at the Department of Archaeology of the University of Nitra, Slovakia, and a team of archeologists and mineralogists analyzed the chemical composition and crystal properties to determine the gemstone's possible origin.
Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum, which is composed almost entirely of aluminum oxide. Pure corundum is colorless, but trace elements like iron, titanium, chromium, gallium and vanadium give it colors like blue, yellow, red, green, pink, or purple.
By analyzing the trace elements in the ring's sapphire and comparing the results with sapphires mined worldwide, the team concludes that Sri Lanka is the most likely place of origin. The gemstone must have traveled by sea and land, shipped from Sri Lanka to India, traveling the Middle East and handed over to European merchants in Aleppo, modern northern Syria, or Constantinople, now known as Istanbul, Turkey. This long voyage, together with the rarity and beauty of sapphires, must have contributed to its high value.
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Pustý hrad Castle was built in the late 12th century and served as the administrative center of the Zvolen County before becoming a significant Hungarian royal fortress. It is plausible that the ring was worn by a royal member or another high-ranking person, maybe even serving as a Bishops' rings of office. An engraving on the sapphire shows a stylized lion, symbolizing strength, courage and royalty, but also an animal associated with Mark the Evangelist.
The study,"Archaeometric study of a unique medieval golden ring with a reddish-purple sapphire (corundum) gemstone from the Zvolen Castle, Slovakia," was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
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A secret tunnel city hidden under Rome's ancient heart is being revealed

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A secret tunnel city hidden under Rome's ancient heart is being revealed
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time3 days ago

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A secret tunnel city hidden under Rome's ancient heart is being revealed

History uncoveredFacebookTweetLink Follow There's a reason archaeologist Ersilia D'Ambrosio can scarcely contain her excitement as she leads the way through dimly lit passageways deep below the Capitoline Hill that was once at the heart of ancient Rome: In a city where almost every historic treasure has been laid bare, this vast subterranean labyrinth is an undiscovered world. 'No one has seen these caves and tunnels for more than a century,' D'Ambrosio tells CNN, plunging further into the gloom. These chambers, which cover around 42,000 square feet, or 3,900 square meters — roughly three-quarters the area of an American football field — lie in an area beneath the Ancient Roman Forum and the 2,000-year-old Marcello Theater. At its deepest point, one of the caves extends about 985 feet below the surface. 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During World War II, a small section was used as air raid shelters, complete with heavy fortified doors. Visible in the tunnels, as well as street numbers, are signs pointing to various 'gabinetto' or bathrooms, likely used during the area's phase as a sanctuary from falling bombs. Work to open up this subterranean world to visitors is being completed in phases. Prior to clearing out the caves and tunnels, archaeologists used laser scanning to map the spaces and record marks left during previous excavation work. Photographic and video exhibitions of the work done will be part of a permanent display throughout the tunnel complex. 'The proposed interventions are aimed, on the one hand, at safeguarding the monument, through the restoration and safety of the structures, and, on the other, at enhancing its accessibility and usability, which is currently extremely limited,' according to the Insula architecture group, which is leading the project. 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There will be displays of ancient stone artifacts and a variety of pots and vases found buried in the dirt that were likely used by merchants for everything from olive oil to wine. Also visible will be metal rings attached to the walls, thought to have been used to tether animals brought down into the cave complex. Artifacts and materials that were recovered during previous excavations of the area and stored in the Capitoline museum warehouses above have been brought down to the tunnels to be studied in their original context, D'Ambrosia says. 'To an archaeologist everything is interesting,' she says. But only pieces likely to interest visitors are likely to remain in situ. Even with all the current work going on, from above, there is little evidence on Capitoline Hill that there's an extensive network of caves and tunnels below it. But Ambrosio is confident they will soon be a major attraction in a city with no shortage of them. 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