What started as a simple walk with the family dog turned into a treasure hunt. Two years ago, 12-year-old Rowan Brannan was walking with his mother and their dog in Pagham, England when he spotted a glint of gold on the ground. As it turned out, Rowan had stumbled upon a rare bracelet from the days of ancient Rome.
This stunning artifact, set to go on display at the Novium Museum in Chichester, tells a fascinating story about warfare in Roman Britain and marks the discovery of a lifetime for Rowan Brannan.
How Rowan Brannan Found The Rare Roman Bracelet While Out On A Walk
The story of this Roman bracelet began when 12-year-old Rowan Brannan of Bognor Regis went for a walk with his mother, Amanda, and their dog in a field in Pagham. During the stroll, Rowan happened to glance down — and discovered the bracelet on the ground.
According to a statement from the Chichester District Council, they took the bracelet to a local Finds Liaison Officer. The officer not only declared that they’d made a significant discovery, but confirmed that the bracelet was Roman in origin and likely dated back to the first century C.E.
Sussex WorldAmanda and Rowan Brannan found the bracelet while out walking their dog in Pagham.
A subsequent analysis of the bracelet by the Portable Antiquities Scheme of the British Museum found that the bracelet was probably a “Roman wide-cuff bracelet of armilla type” composed of “five parallel mouldings.”
Though the bracelet is similar to some 150 copper alloy examples that have been found over the years, this one is made of gold — which makes it an especially rare find. The Portable Antiquities Scheme reports that they have just three other Roman cuff bracelets made of gold in their database.
So where did this bracelet come from and what’s the history behind it?
“Bravery, Gallantry, And Service”: The History Of Roman Cuff Bracelets
Experts suspect that the story of the bracelet can be traced to the first century, and the Roman invasion of Britain that began in 43 C.E.
Notuncurious/Wikimedia CommonsA map showing how the Roman conquest of Britain unfolded.
As the Portable Antiquities Scheme explained, gold cuff bracelets like the one found by Rowan Brannan were “likely given as military awards for feats of valour at the time of the Roman conquest of Britain…their discovery [reflects] the presence of soldiers, active or retired.”
Indeed, experts are excited about the cuff bracelet because of what it represents about Roman Britain as well as life and warfare in ancient times.
“In particular, it will help shed light on military attitudes, including how Roman soldiers were rewarded for their bravery, gallantry and service, particularly with regards to the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 C.E.,” said Adrian Moss, Leader at Chichester District Council. “This piece will widen our museum team’s understanding of Roman life locally and allows us to tell a different story from the Roman period.”
Portable Antiquities SchemeThe cuff bracelet dates back to the first century C.E. and the Roman invasion of Britain.
Beyond that, Moss also emphasized that Rowan’s find goes to show that history is all around us — if you look closely enough.
“The story of the find itself is fascinating,” Moss remarked. “[I]t really goes to show that you never know what you might discover by keeping your eyes peeled when out and about!”