Murder the 14th Century way: Aristocrat's POISON RING could deliver...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2400953/Murder-14th-...

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Murder the 14th Century way: Aristocrat's POISON RING could deliver a deadly dose to a political rival's wine goblet
The 14th Century piece of jewellery was found at the site of a medieval fortress on Cape Kaliakra on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast Archaeologists believe the ring would have likely belonged to a wealthy and power-hungry male and was filled with poison Dr Boni Petrunova said the ring is proof that poison was used in politicallymotivated murders in medieval Bulgaria
By Sarah Griffiths PUBLISHED: 15:11 GMT, 23 August 2013 | UPDATED: 15:13 GMT, 23 August 2013

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Bulgarian archaeologists have unearthed a well-preserved poison ring, used to spike an opponent's goblet of wine or dinner with a deadly dose of toxicity. The 14th Century piece of jewellery was found at the site of a medieval fortress on Cape Kaliakra close to the town of Kavarna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Archaeologists believe the ring would have likely belonged to a wealthy and power-hungry male with political ambitions and was filled with poison.

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The 14th Century piece of jewellery was found at the site of a medieval fortress on Cape Kaliakra close to the town of Kavarna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Archaeologists believe the ring would have likely belonged to a wealthy and power-hungry male and was filled with poison

It is the first ring of its kind to be uncovered in Bulgaria, according to the deputy director of the National Archaeology Institute and Museum in Sofia, Boni Petrunova. She told the Sofia Globe, that the ring is made of bronze and has a small box welded to the bezel. Dr Petrunova said: 'I have no doubts that the hole is there on purpose and the ring was worn on the right hand, because the hole was made in such a way so as to be covered by a finger, so that the poison can be dropped at a moments notice.' 'Clearly, it was not worn constantly and would have been put on when necessary.' She believes the ring is proof that poison was used in politically-motivated murders in Medieval Bulgaria but thinks the poison itself would have originated from Spain or Italy, which had good trading relations with Bulgaria. It is probable the ring was used in a squabble between the ruler of the independent Despotate of Dobrudja called Dobrotitsa and his son Ivanko Terter, in the second half of the 14th century. Dr Petrunova said the conflict is the most likely cause of deaths of members of the ruling class nearby the Kaliakra fortress. The artefact helps to add some extra knowledge about life on Cape Kaliakra in the 14th Century, was home to the local aristocracy.

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Dr Petrunova said: 'I have no doubts that the hole (pictured) is there on purpose and the ring was worn on the right hand, because the hole was made in such a way so as to be covered by a finger, so that the poison can be dropped at a moment's notice

More than 30 items of jewellery, mostly made of gold have been found at the site since 2011. Kaliakra was, for a short while, the capital of a principality that was situated between the Danube Delta and present-day Bourgas. Dobrotitsa was in charge at the peak of its power and had enough military muscle to fight in the Byzantine civil wars. Together with Venice, an ally, he challenged the Genoese naval rule of the Black Sea.

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However, the principality was taken over by the Ottomans in the early 15th century after the Battle of Varna, when sultan Murad II defeated Hungarian and Polish forces. King Wladyslaw III of Poland died fighting in the battle and is known as Vladislav Varnenchik in Bulgaria. It has not been revealed if toxicology tests have been run on the ring to ascertain the particular type of poison that might have been kept inside or if there are still traces on the ring. There is also some conjecture between historians as to whether the ring really was intended to house a toxic substance, with some people suggesting it could have simply been an unusual reliquary ring, used to keep the remains or objects associated with saints.

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Comments (5)
Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all Main page - it's "discreetly" NOT "discretely." Hate it when even a newspaper can't spell. - S Jones , London, United Kingdom, 23/8/2013 18:09 Click to rate Report abuse The Court Jester. Danny Kaye one of the funniest men to ever live. - Chrissie49 , Kidderminster, 23/8/2013 17:49 Click to rate Report abuse Equally useful for dispensing the helpful and discrete Alka-Selza when eating at their place and you don't want to sound impolite. - PhilJ , Cardiff, 23/8/2013 17:27 Click to rate Report abuse It''s not as if they don't exist today. You can still buy them. Obviously not intended to kill anyone with, but they are still around. - Crumpets , London, United Kingdom, 23/8/2013 17:22 Rating 2 Rating (0) Rating (0)

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Rating 3

"The flagon with the dragon is the pot that is poisoned, but the chalice from the palace is the brew that is true."....you've got 10 seconds to name that movie ;-) - TLBerry , Bedford, United Kingdom, 23/8/2013 16:55 Click to rate Report abuse Share this comment The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Rating (0)

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