A MYSTERIOUS inscription on a silver ring pulled from the earth in Swindon gives the only clue as to its previous owner.

The piece of jewellery, made with elaborate detail, carries the words AL.WAYES.ON followed by the image of a sprig.

The ring, which Swindon Museum and Art Gallery hopes to acquire, could possibly have been a declaration of love – made around 1,000 years ago.

The medieval artefact is one of many finds in Wiltshire which have been declared ‘treasure trove’ to the county coroner.

Another is a fragment of a silver buckle which was found in Lydiard Tregoze last February.

The accessory, also from medieval times, depicts a creature with a tail and a two-clawed foot.

The object is also testimony to the skill and craftmanship of the time, showing the animal’s beak and a tendril curving behind its head.

Fragments of copper from the Iron Age and Roman coins bearing the names Honorius, Arcadius and Juilan are among the other finds.

The details of discoveries over the past three years have been provided by the British Museum, which processes finds in England and Wales.

Katie Hinds, finds liaison officer for Wiltshire, has the job of meeting up with metal detecting clubs to analyse objects.

She said: “People can find anything and things of all dates come up. The treasure process involves objects of gold or silver over 300 years old or hoards of coins or pre-historic base metal.

“However there are an awful lot more finds that don’t fall into those specific definitions that are of equal interest.

“A lot of things you might consider boring because it is fragmentary, or made of base metal, can be a lot more informative historically than the fancy stuff.”

Miss Hinds records objects discovered by the public on a database but major hauls are rare, the last two having been handed in before she took up her role in 2003.

“There’s a misconception out there that every time you go out detecting you will find something,” she said.

“Anyone who goes out metal detecting will tell you they can spend hours sifting through ring pulls and other junk before they get something interesting.

“They certainly put a lot of hours and dedication into finding stuff.

“I wouldn’t say they find a lot of stuff but there have been a couple of hoards which have been purchased through the treasure process.”

The silver ring, which has traces of gilding on its inside surface, may go on public view at the Old Town museum after being found in December.

Miss Hinds said: “You get these little inscriptions where through the general illiteracy of the time they try to say something but it doesn’t quite make sense.

“You find messages on betrothal rings so I imagine it’s some kind of declaration of love but the meaning’s perhaps a bit lost now.

“It may be something which was said at the time which doesn’t make sense now.”

Victoria Barlow, manager for conservation and heritage at Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, also believes the best finds are not always the best-preserved or even the most valuable.

“Treasure is an interesting word,” she said.

“The thing about archaeology is that you can never truly know what is out there.

“Wiltshire in particular has such a rich archaeological history that putting a pot plant in means you may find something.

“The real treasure is something which gives us information.

“This could be unusual bits of pot or bones rather than the shiny stuff.”