Fragment of Viking Age arm ring declared treasure

A "rare" 1,000-year-old gold arm ring discovered in a field by a metal detectorist and declared treasure at an inquest has been put on display for the first time.

The fragment of jewellery, which is 1.4 inches (3.7cm) in length and weighs 1oz (27.26g), was unearthed by Ronald Clucas in spring 2025.

Mr Clucas said, who has been metal detecting for 50 years, said he had previously found "some wonderful things", but the Viking Age find was "really something else".

Manx National Heritage (MNH) curator of archaeology Allison Fox said the understanding of the island's "rich Viking legacy had been further enhanced by the discovery".

The piece, which dates back to about between 1,000 and 1,100 AD, was originally created by plaiting eight strands of gold rods together.

Ms Fox said such jewellery served as both "prized personal possessions and visible displays of wealth" during the period, which were also used for financial transactions.

Ms Fox said the "beautiful find" had been cut twice, to remove the terminal end of the arm ring, with the other cutting the original complete piece almost in half.

That suggested it had been used in transactions before being buried in the ground, possibly for safekeeping or "as an offering to the Viking Gods", she added.

A member of the Manx Detectorist Society, Mr Clucas has previously unearthed a silver ingot and a lead ingot on the island in 2005.

He said gold "generally gives a very low signal on the detector, so you can't really predict what is going to be uncovered".

"It was quite a big shock to discover this lovely piece of gold, I couldn't really believe it at first," he added.

The arm band has been put on display in the Viking Gallery at the Manx Museum in Douglas.

Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.