Date: Circa: 2^nd Century AD: Northern Cambridgeshire – Ermine Street:

Size: diametre: 40 mm: weight: 21.69 grams:

Here we have a Roman era [Romano-British] lead seal which, may have been a seal associated with a sealed document and possibly associated with imperial estates newly created under *Emperor Hadrian:

The seal is circular in form and lipped to the outer rough edges: To the upper face we see a classical Roman Imperial bust facing right: Surrounding the bust to the outer circumference, there is elevated ‘Antiqua Script’: Due to wear it is difficult to read this text however, it is clearly visible:

Provenance:

The seal was detected along a length of known Roman trackway running south-eastwards away from the Roman trunk road of Ermine Street and towards the Roman town of Durobrivae [modern-day Water Newton]:

*Hadrian is recorded as personally visiting to the Provence of Britannia in AD 122 according to a biography written 200 years later ‘to put many things to right’: Many know of the impressive 80 mile long wall constructed in his name however, less well known is Hadrian’s documented civil engineering works to start the drainage project of the fenlands: Hadrian recognised the potential for rich farming estates following such drainage and land management: A large number of rich farming Villas sprang up in the Fenlands and these would go on to form official imperial estates supplying grain to the wider European Empire: 

Reference material and further reading: 

Where possible ancient artifacts may be referenced to similar material observed in the following publications within my collection:

• British Artefacts Vol.1, 2 and 3: Brett Hammond [Greenlight Publishing 2010]:

• Celtic & Roman Artefacts: Nigel Mills [Greenlight Publishing 2007]:

• SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome: Mary Beard [Profile Books 2015]:

• 50 Bronze Age Artefacts: Portable Antiquities Scheme: Dot Boughton [Amberley Publishing 2021]:

• Pottery in Britain 4000BC to AD 1900: Lloyd Laing [Greenlight Publishing 2003]:

• British Iron Age Coins In The British Museum: Richard Hobbs [British Museum 1996]:

• Swords of The Viking Age: Ian Peirce: [The Boydell Press 2003]:

• Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society Volume 85: [Cambridge University Press

  2019]

• Mesolithic Europe: Geoff Bailey / Penny Spikins [Cambridge University Press 2008]

• Viking Art: James Graham-Campbell: [Thames & Hudson, London 2018]

• Roman Coins Vol. 1, 2 & 3: David R Sear: [Spink London 2000]:

• The Roman Cavalry: Karen R. Dixon: [B. . Batsford 1997]:

• Rome’s Saxon Shore: Coastal Defenses of Roman Britain AD 250 – 500: Nic Fields [Osprey Publishing 2006]:

• Amulets of Ancient Egypt: Carol Andrews: [University of Texas Press / British Museum Press 1994]:

• The Uniforms of the Roman World: Military dress, weapons, artillery, ships, siege engines and fortifications: Kevin F. Killey: [Anness Publishing 2017]:

Where possible finger rings may be referenced to similar material observed in the following publications within my collection:

• Victorian and Albert Museum CATALOGUE OF FINGER RINGS 1930: C.C.Oman [Anglia Publishing. 1991 – Now out of print]:

• Finger Rings: Diana Scarisbrick / Martin Henig: [Ashmolean Museum Oxford. 2003]:

• Ancient Rings An Illustrated Collectors Guide: T. N. Polio: [McFarland & Co Inc. 2018:

• 1000 Rings: Inspiring Adornments of the Hand: Le Van, Marthe; Ebendorf, Robert [W: Lark Books 2004]:

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