An archaeological dig at Clarkly Hill near Burghead has uncovered a decorative ring thought to date back to Pictish times.
Dr Fraser Hunter, from the National Museum of Scotland and currently leading the dig in Moray, believes that the ring may have been worn by a man or woman and is likely to date between 500BC and 200AD.
Dr Hunter said: “We will need to wait a few months for it to be dated scientifically, but what we know is that it is bronze and highly decorative.
“People back then liked dressing up and showing off their wealth, pretty much the same as they do nowadays.”
The Clarkly Hill excavation is the latest in a series taking place in Moray. It began earlier this month, ends this weekend and has been funded by Moray Leader and the Gordon Baxter Foundation.
Around 30 volunteers have been assisting in the project with local people joining university students and local school groups. Dr Hunter said: “The children have been helping by sieving soil for us – they have found all sorts of things from different historical periods, including pieces of flint that date back over 5000 years.”
Adding that the site appears to have been a major centre similar to the settlement in Birnie that had been uncovered in excavations between 1998 and 2011, Dr Hunter said: “We are very pleased with this dig so far as the ring is just one of a large number of exciting finds.”