Roman gold wedding ring found in Bulgaria

"A gold wedding ring from the Roman era has been discovered in the ancient city of Bononia (modern-day Vidin) in Bulgaria. It weighs a hefty 26.63 grams and dates to the second half of the 2nd century A.D. The central plate of the ring is oval and contains an image of a couple, typical iconography in this period for marital fidelity rings which were exchanged between newlyweds."

"Bononia was founded in the late 1st century or the beginning of the 2nd century. It is believed to have originated as the military fort of the First Cisipadensium Cohort. The sone and brick fortress was built during the reign of Constantine (306-337 A.D.). It had a rectangular layout, with its long sides aligned with the Danube River, one of the Empire's natural boundary lines."

"This is the 11th consecutive year of excavation of Bononia, and the focus was on fully exploring Tower No. 10, one of only two towers with remains still visible today. The ring was discovered 20 feet below the surface in a layer from the 2nd-3rd century on the very last day of this year's excavation. The site has now been winterized, but archaeologists will return next year to continue the exploration of ancient Bononia."

A Roman gold wedding ring weighing 26.63 grams was found in Bononia (modern Vidin), dating to the late 2nd century A.D. The oval central plate shows a couple, a common marital fidelity motif exchanged between newlyweds. The band features cannulae and the plate was soldered in place. The ring was likely produced locally in a goldsmith workshop in nearby Ratsiaria (modern Archar). Bononia originated as a military fort and later had a stone-and-brick fortress with massive walls and circular towers. Excavations focused on Tower No. 10; the ring was uncovered 20 feet deep in a 2nd–3rd century layer. The site has been winterized and plans call for continued excavation and public presentation.

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