Gold ring, set with a gem engraved with a figure of Abrasax. The hoop is flat with three finely beaded or milled wires and two twisted, roped ones. There are three gold globules at the shoulders (two are lost on one side) and a raised oval box-setting surrounded by a roped flange. Held loosely within the setting by a gold strip forming a bevelled rim is a worn engraved gem, a brownish chalcedony (jasper). The design is of a cock-headed, snake-legged deity wearing a short tunic and carrying a scourge and a shield on which are the Greek letters IAQ. On removal from the setting, the back of the gem, which is relatively unworn, was found to be engraved with the names ABPACAΣCABAΩΘ in Greek. There is no wear on the gold.
Excavated/Findspot Gallows Hill
The British Museum
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