The ‘Ring of Nestor’

In the past the authenticity of the so-called Ring of Nestor has been debated mostly in terms of iconography. Arguments against its ancient origin rest chiefly on the presence or absence of certain motifs elsewhere in the surviving repertoire. Most if not all of these arguments can be countered; and we must remember that our knowledge of Minoan-Mycenaean iconography remains limited. Here new technical observations are presented which serve to support the authenticity of the Ring of Nestor. In 1995 the ring was once again placed on display in the Ashmolean Museum.