Database

The Osiliana archaeological database brings together artefacts from Saaremaa and the surrounding small islands.

Most of Saaremaa’s archaeological finds are held in the collection of the Saaremaa Museum and in the Tallinn University Research Collection.

We are gradually adding more and more finds and hope that it will become a useful tool for all history and archaeology enthusiasts!

century – century
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Ure

Melted piece of bronze.

Century:
3-5

Discovery code:
SM 10862:120

Ure

Flat ring, silver.

Century:
3-5

Discovery code:
SM 10862:106

Ure

Potsherd.

Century:
3-5

Discovery code:
SM 10862:95

Ure

Piece of silver, melted.

Century:
3-5

Discovery code:
SM 10862:38

Ure

Flat disc, iron. 3 mm in height and with a hole at the center.

Century:
3-5

Discovery code:
SM 10862:32

Ure

Gold ring (spiral bracelet or neck ring rolled together), with the so-called serpent-head ends. Type C (Fernstål 2004), weight 175 g. Serpent-head is a general term for a variety of golden neck-rings, bracelets (including spiral ones), and rings in Northern Europe. Serpent-head rings were used in a fairly short period of time, from 210-330 AD. Many researchers consider these as symbols for the dukes or royal dynasties which would also explain the fact that they were used by both, men and women. Many of these sort of rings have been found from sacrificial places.

Century:
3-4

Discovery code:
SM 10862:11

Last 5 photos: Jaana Ratas

Parallel

Gold rings from Skedemosse. Photo Ulf Bruxe, Statens Historiska Museum.

Gold ring (spiral bracelet or neck ring rolled together), with the so-called serpent-head ends. Type C (Fernstål 2004), weight 175 g. Serpent-head is a general term for a variety of golden neck-rings, bracelets (including spiral ones), and rings in Northern Europe. Serpent-head rings were used in a fairly short period of time, from 210-330 AD. Many researchers consider these as symbols for the dukes or royal dynasties which would also explain the fact that they were used by both, men and women. Many of these sort of rings have been found from sacrificial places (Törnblad 2017).

Serpent-head gold rings in Sweden were concentrated in Gotland and Öland, in Denmark in the area around Stevns in East-Zeeland, some have also been found in Southwestern Finland. Gotland and Öland have the highest ratio of neck-rings and bracelets of gold. Altogether there have been 62 gold neck-rings and bracelets found, 37 of them from Sweden, 12 from Denmark, and four from Southwestern Finland (Fernstål 2004; Törnblad 2017). The rings are commonly considered characteristic of Scandinavia and thus far such artefacts have not been found in the Eastern Baltic.

The most suitable parallel to the Ure complex is the sacrificial site of Skedemosse in Öland. Six gold rings found there are similarly to Ure deformed in shape so it is hard to define them either as spiral bracelets or neck-rings. Additionally, eleven propeller-shaped fittings, weapons, human (48) and animal sacrifices have been recorded in Skedemosse (Hagberg 1967).

Ure ring with its weight belongs amongst the largest ones of that type of artefacts in Northern Europe. Therefore, it can be suggested that the owner of this gold ring was part of the absolute top of the Scandinavian elite.

Literature:

Fernstål, L. 2004. Delar av en grav och glimtar av entid. Om yngre romersk järnålder, Tuna i Badelunda i Västmanland och personen i grav X. Doctoral thesis, Stockholm University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies. Stockholm. Read the article: here.

Hagberg, U. E. 1967. The Archaeology of Skedemosse. I–II. Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademiens Handlingar. Monografien, 46: I–II. Stockholm.

Mägi, M. 2021. Scandinavian chieftains in Saaremaa? Archaeological investigations in Ure, a probable Roman Period sacrificial place. – Archaeological Fieldwork in Estonia 2020, 73-90. Read the article: here.

Rundkvist, M. 2021. Noble shape, humble metals. Bronze and silver shield-head and snake-head rings of Roman era Scandinavia. – Praehistorische Zeitschrift, vol. 96, no. 2, 2021, pp. 571-584. https://doi.org/10.1515/pz-2021-2020.

Törnblad, E. 2017. Ormhuvudringar – en analys av det sociala symbolspråket i relation till formgivning, fyndkontext och hantverk. Kandidatuppsats Arkeologi, Lund Universitet. Read the article: here.