Ring

This gold men's ring dates from the 6th or 7th century. The ovoid cabochon (a polished precious stone often found on rings) is a Roman intaglio (a gemstone with a sunken engraving) on red-veined agate. It depicts an eagle in counter relief with a laurel wreath in its beak. Roman intaglios were often reused in later periods to make jewelry. The one in this ring is from the Roman Empire, from the end of the 1st century or beginning of the 2nd century CE. The ring is both concave and convex in shape and bears an inscription on the outside at the base. This ring was found, together with other pieces of interest and human remains, in the royal vault (Panteón Real) at the Monastery of San Juan de la Peña, where the tombs of the first kings of Aragon are located (Ramiro I, Sancho Ramírez, and Pedro I).