Pre-teen stumbles upon rare 2,000-year-old bracelet with ties to ancient Rome

Ancient discoveries could pop up anywhere, sometimes even being found by mistake.

Twelve-year-old Rowan Brannon from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, was walking his dog in Pagham with his mother in 2022 when they stumbled upon a gold bracelet.

Unaware of the bracelet’s value or history, they took the gold cuff to a local finds liaison officer, according to an Aug. 15, 2024, news release from Chichester District Council.

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The discovery turned out to be an ancient one. After further investigation, the gold bracelet was confirmed to be a piece of Roman jewelry with roots around the first century A.D., according to the release.

The gold cuff is simple in its design, expected to have belonged to a man during the Roman period, per the release, likely bestowed for military bravery.

It’s described as a “relatively rare” piece of jewelry from Roman Britain, mostly because of the gold material that the cuff is made of.

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The bracelet is now in possession of The Novium Museum in Chichester, England.

“Acquiring this bracelet for The Novium Museum’s collection will offer our visitors additional insights into ancient practices. In particular, it will help shed light on military attitudes, including how Roman soldiers were rewarded for their bravery, gallantry and service, particularly in regard to the Roman invasion of Britain in AD43,” Adrian Moss, leader of Chichester District Council said, per the release.

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“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. By enhancing the museum’s current collection with this important find, we can provide a more comprehensive narrative of Chichester District during Roman times within our permanent displays,” he went on to say.

Moss also spoke about the uniqueness of the manner in which this piece was found. It was not found in an archaeological excavation, and was not an item sought out by researchers. Instead, it was found by two people on an otherwise typical day.

“The story of the find itself is fascinating – it really goes to show that you never know what you might discover by keeping your eyes peeled when out and about,” Moss said.

The ancient gold cuff will go on display beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at The Novium Museum.

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