Dog Walk Turns to Gold as Sussex Boy Finds 2,000-Year-Old Roman Treasure.
Credit: Shutterstock, Mircea Moira
Dog Walk Turns to Gold as Sussex Boy Finds 2,000-Year-Old Roman Treasure.
They say every dog has its day, but for 12-year-old Rowan Brannan, it was a walk with his four-legged friend that led to the discovery of a lifetime. When 12-year-old Rowan Brannan, from Sussex, set off on a routine walk with his dog, he never imagined in his wildest dreams that he’d stumble across a 2000-year-old Roman golden cuff bracelet. Rowan, from Pagham, was taking his dog for a walk with his mother when he spotted the lost treasure.
Two years after the rare discovery, and after detailed analysis, it has turned out to be a first-century AD Roman military award for bravery. The cuff bracelet is thought to have been given to soldiers who displayed courage during the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43.
This seemingly ordinary day turned out to be extraordinary for Rowan and his mum. The bracelet has since been put on display in the Novium Museum in Chichester city centre.
As Rowan and his mum were walking their dog in a field near the southern coast of Pagham, the 12-year-old noticed an odd, shiny metal piece in the mud. He was convinced it was real gold. So, he decided to pick it up, which was against his mother’s usual advice not to pick up dirty things off the floor.
Not knowing what they’d found, the family kept the bracelet at home until a family friend, intrigued by the story, advised them to take it to a jeweller. This was when things started to get truly exciting for young Rowan. After the jeweller confirmed that the bracelet was, in fact, made of real gold, their friend sent a picture of the artefact to an expert, who told them to take it to their local Finds Officer for further examination.
What the Finds Officer discovered was intriguing, to say the least. The cuff bracelet was analysed at the British Museum, where experts confirmed it as a rare Roman military armilla awarded to Roman warriors as a recognition for bravery.
Two Thousand-Year-Old Roman Relic
According to Chichester District Council, the bracelet is unlike other known Roman pieces, making it an exceptionally rare find for Roman Britain. Rowan’s natural curiosity and interest in collecting things he found led to a significant historical discovery that he will never forget.
Who Gets to Keep the Gold? The Rules on Roman Treasure Finds
From a treasure-hunting badger unearthing a treasure trove of ancient coins in Spain to a bracelet being discovered in Sussex, Roman treasure seems to be popping up everywhere lately. But who gets to keep the treasure when it’s found?
According to the England and Wales Treasure Act 1996, any treasure found must be reported to the local coroner within 14 days. There are similar rules in Spain.
This includes anything over 300 years old made of precious metals or coins and prehistoric artefacts. They usually offer a finder’s fee for the artefact, which must be split with the owner of the land where it was found.
