Archaeologists uncovered more than 160 gold rings while digging in an area soon to be converted into a highway. They found the rings in Romania in the grave of a woman who lived about 6,000 years ago. She was part of the Tiszapolgar culture, where women were known to wear gold rings in their hair. The scientific team from the museum Muzeul Ţării Crişurilor also found 800 beads and other jewelry. The amount of bling, and analysis of the rest of the gravesite, leads them to believe she was a member of the upper-class. But the museum plans more carbon dating and DNA analysis to learn more about the ancient site.
We saw the news thanks to DesignTAXI. The shiny discovery is one of many that scientists have recently made in the vicinity of the Romanian city Oradea. Archaeologists are uncovering remarkable history from across the centuries. Other finds include sites from the Neolithic Period, Bronze and Copper Ages, Roman Empire, and the Middle Ages. Teams are excavating in advance of construction of the A3 roadway. The highway will connect the capital city of Bucharest with the country’s border with Hungary. Crews have already built many sections, including through the Transylvania region of Romania. They will finish the remainder in the next few years.
The Romania grave discovery comes just in time to remind us of all the rings we’ll get to know more about soon thanks to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. While we only expect to see 19 rings of power (plus one to rule them all), I’m sure the peoples of Middle-earth would have made use of 150 more if they had them.
Featured Image: Muzeul Ţării Crişurilor
Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.