Boy Discovers 2,000-Year-Old Gold Roman Bracelet
A 12-year-old boy picked up a treasure in the dirt that his mother thought was just strapping used for packaging, but it turned out to be 2,000 years old and made of gold.
Rowan Brannan was with his mother Amanda walking the dog in a field in Sussex, England, when he spotted the band which dates back to the first century AD.
“Rowan has always been into finding all sorts of bits and pieces. He’s very adventurous and is always picking stuff up off the ground,” said his mom. “I’m forever saying ‘put it down—it’s dirty.'”
It was caked with dirt, but the more Rowan kept holding the bit of metal, the more he was convinced that it could be actual gold.
“It was just normal to me, because I pick up a lot of things that I probably shouldn’t,” said the dutiful lad.
Rowan took the piece home and researched how to tell whether it was real gold.
It met all the criteria on the checklist, but they didn’t realize just how lucky Rowan’s discovery was until a hairdresser came to their house.
She told the pair that she was going on a metal detecting trip, which reminded Rowan to show her the metal he had found.
She took a photo of the piece and showed it to the leader of the metal detector group who said it looked old and recommended they contact a British Finds Officer.
Rowan described how the excitement kept building over the months following his discovery. He learned that the find was classified as ‘treasure’ because it was older than 300 years and was made of a precious metal.
Important Historical Find
The family was asked to bring the item to Horsham to the Finds Liaison Officer because the artifact belongs to the nation.
“Then it got to the treasure process,” said the excited boy.
Amanda said the piece has gone through the Coroner’s Court in a ‘fascinating’ process where they have been learning more and more about the bracelet.
“It’s very exciting whenever we read an email and we have been kept up to date throughout the whole process.”
After much study, officials told the boy from Bognor that he’d uncovered an “exceptionally rare” armilla Roman bracelet, a fact that was confirmed by the British Museum.
Significance of the Bracelet
Amanda explained, “Our understanding is an armilla bracelet was given to the Roman soldiers as a mark of respect and valor and service.
“It’s been brilliantly fascinating. We have learned so many things and it is quite lovely to still be involved, so we can follow its story.
“It’s like, ‘Wow, imagine who wore that’. We’ve had a piece of history in our house.”
We might also be witnessing the spur that creates the next Indiana Jones.
By discovering such a significant historical artifact, Rowan has not only added to his knowledge but also to the collective understanding of Roman history. The excitement surrounding his find and the subsequent learning process highlight the value of curiosity and exploration, especially for young minds. It’s moments like these that inspire new generations to delve deeper into history and archaeology, sparking a passion for discovery and preservation.
