4 pieces of metal that look like 4 broken parts from old objects have been restored, “showing their original form” as treasures that are nearly 1,900 years old.
The items were unearthed in Yorkshire (UK) by two amateur “treasure hunters” – people who use metal detectors in the hope of finding antiques. They include a small chipped bust, a plumb bob (a weight tied to the end of a string to form a plumb line to determine the vertical), a knife handle shaped like a horse’s head and a small statue of a rider .

Excavated artifacts – Photo: James Spark/BNPS

Although it sounds modest, the items have been considered a treasure by archaeologists. According to Daily Mail, the company specializing in auctioning antiques and fine art products, Hansons Auctioneers, has announced that it will sell the above collection on May 20 for a price of up to 90,000 pounds (more than 125,000 USD).

Portrait of two lucky metal detectorists – Photo: James Spark/BNPS

The British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Program (PAS), which specializes in receiving archaeological discoveries from the public, received, researched and restored the above artifacts before handing them over to the auction company. The 13 cm tall bust was identified as a portrait of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. All four items mentioned above were buried together in a Roman religious ceremony around 160 AD, nearly 1,900 years ago.

With the technology of that time, these statues and objects were meticulously crafted works of remarkable sophistication. According to Adam Staples, head of history at Hansons Auctioneers, they may have been offerings to the gods.

The discovery belongs to two “treasure hunters” James Spark and Mark Didlick, during the process of metal detecting in a field in Ryedale, North Yorkshire. They will have to split the auction fee with the unnamed owner of the land where the items were unearthed.
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