It has long been thought of as one of the most feared diseases in the medieval world.

Leprosy was capable of inspiring religious debate and, for those who bore its symptoms, reshaping their place in society.

But an archaeological project in Lincoln is presenting a more complex picture of how this misunderstood condition was treated and patients were perceived.

Next month, a dig will begin to uncover the Hospital of the Holy Innocents, which was founded in about the year 1100 to offer care and shelter to those living with the disease.

The 14th Century gold seal ring of Matilda was listed for auction by Noonans Mayfair as part of a sale of jewellery, watches, silver and objects of vertu on Tuesday.

It was discovered in a ploughed field near Stoke Ash in Suffolk, in April 2024, by friends Aaron Pizzey, 30, and James Race, 39.

The men said they were disappointed the ring failed to meet its reserve bid of £8,500, but they would attempt to auction it again in the future.

The ring had been estimated to fetch between £10,000 and £12,000, but the men hoped it would auction for even more, somewhere between £25,000 and £30,000.

Noonans said it had a carnelian intaglio engraved with the image of a griffin and its inscription was believed to give a clue to its original owner.

A hoard of fragmented Roman artefacts found in Somerset has sparked wonder among archaeologists about "the layers of history hidden beneath our feet".

Excavations beneath the Bath Assembly Rooms have uncovered a network of Roman ditches, pottery, coins, glassware, and piece of a military helmet.

Experts said the finds expand the known extent of Roman occupation, and suggest that further remains are likely to survive beneath neighbouring Georgian streets.

A medieval gold ring unearthed by two metal detectorists is expected to fetch more than £10,000 at auction.

Friends Aaron Pizzey, 30, and James Race, 39, made their discovery in a ploughed field near Stoke Ash in Suffolk, in April 2024.

Engineering lecturer Pizzey, who works at a college in west Suffolk, said he was about to throw away a faulty headset just before they struck lucky.

The 14th Century gold seal ring of Matilda has been described by auctioneers Noonans Mayfair as "extremely rare".

Two 15th Century rings discovered by a metal detectorist in North Yorkshire are to be auctioned next week.

Andrew Riley, 71, struck gold twice in the space of four months when he found the medieval rings at a farm near Northallerton.

The rings, one of which has been named the 'blood of Christ' ring by auctioneers and the other an iconographic ring of St Margaret of Antioch, could fetch more than £10,000 at auction.