Rare ancient gold discovery made by Florida student at archaeological site

A student from the Sunshine State recently struck gold during an archaeological excavation in Britain - over 4,000 miles from home.

Yara Souza of Orlando, Florida, discovered the ninth-century golden artifact during an excavation in Redesdale, Northumberland, in July. 

An archaeology student at Newcastle University, Souza said that she "couldn't believe" she found the artifact - during her first excavation too.

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"It was actually quite overwhelming. It was amazing to discover something that hasn't been seen for more than 1,000 years," she said in a university release.

"I was really geeking out over it!"

She found the artifact near Dere Street, a Roman road that once connected York to Edinburgh and later became part of the modern A68.

After missing Newcastle University's excavation at Birdoswald Roman fort due to illness, Souza said she unearthed the artifact within 90 minutes of digging.

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"I couldn't believe I'd found something so quickly into my first excavation," she added.

The early medieval artifact dates back to the 800s, the school said. It features a decorative finial at one end.

Gold was only used by elite individuals at the time, so experts believe the relic could have had a religious or ceremonial use. Further analysis is ongoing.

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Archaeology professor James Gerrard called the discovery "an exciting find of exceptional quality." 

"I'm delighted for Yara that she has made this discovery at the beginning of her career as an archaeologist," he said.

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"We know that Dere Street continued to be a major thoroughfare long after the Romans, and it's clear from this discovery that high-status people were using it."

The discovery follows other recent archaeological finds in the United Kingdom.

In late May, two different 2,000-year-old shoes were unearthed by volunteers at Magna Roman fort in Northumberland.

This summer, officials announced that a cache of coins - equivalent to an Ancient Roman soldier's monthly paycheck - was spotted in the English countryside.