Even though the gold band was covered with dirt, Rowan kept it safely as he was sure it’s a precious piece.
Sussex Boy: You never know what you might bump into. It could be a big black buffalo, a person towering above you, or some treasure from the yore. Let’s pick the treasure from the three possibilities because this is what 12-year-old Rowan Brannan knocked on while walking his dog in Sussex, England.
Rowan Brannan got his hands on a gold band dating back to the first century AD, which is 2000 years 2000-year-old piece of jewellery that his mom dismissed as just a piece of rubbish.
“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. I’m forever saying put it down-it’s dirty,” said his mom while talking to South West News Service (SWNS), a British news agency.
The gold band was covered with dirt, but Rowan kept it as he was sure 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 Rowan talking to SWNS.
To prove his point, Rowan took the band to his home and conducted a research on how to identify real gold. The online checklist met the required number of ticks. But he had to wait until a visiting hairdresser mentioned an upcoming metal detecting trip. This prompted Rowan to show her the yellow metal he’d found.
The hairdresser was heavily impressed and took a picture of the metal and contacted the leader of her metal-detecting group. Recognizing its potential age, the leader advised them to reach out to a British Finds Officer.
Now who could stop an excited Rowan who waited for months? Finally, he received the news he was waiting for, the band was classified as treasure due to its age and precious metal content.
It got even more exciting and adventurous for Rowan when they were contacted by the Finds Liaison Officer in Horsham. Due to the artefact’s age and significance, it was classified as a national treasure, requiring them to bring it in for further examination and record-keeping.
“Then it got to the treasure process,” explained the boy brimming with a sense of triumph.
The bracelet has undergone a “fascinating” process through the Coroner’s Court and this has allowed them to learn a great deal more about the history of the piece.
“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 Rowan that he’d uncovered an “exceptionally rare” armilla Roman bracelet, a fact that was confirmed by the British Museum, reported the New York Post.
They explained, “Our understanding is an armilla bracelet was given to the Roman soldiers as a mark of respect and valour 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.”