Hunting for treasure, retiree finds sword worth hundreds of millions

JAKARTA – A retiree who intended to dig for treasure actually found an artifact Bronze Age . The accidental discovery of this artifact began with the intention of John Belgrave, a retiree in 2020, to hunt for treasure. He paid USD 25 or around Rp. 407 thousand to attend the treasure hunter meeting.

“There was obviously metal there but I thought it was just an old tin or something. “I dug about 20 centimeters and found a strange-shaped object covered in clay,” said Belgrave as reported by The Guardian, Wednesday (5/6/2024).

He apparently found a 60-centimetre-long Middle Bronze Age rapier sword split into three pieces. This sword was buried among the remains of a rich businessman.

Then he continued his hunt in his group’s area in the town of Stalbridge, near Dorset, England. Belgrave finds a sword hilt, then two blade fragments, an axe, and a bracelet. The retiree also admitted that he was confused when he found a Bronze Age treasure estimated to be worth USD 21,500 or IDR 315 million.

“The British Museum believes that the object was deliberately broken and buried in the ground as part of burial rituals and offerings,” Belgrave said, adding that the fragments were found in a part of the ground that had never been opened to treasure hunters.

In a statement to Business Insider, Dorset Museum and Art Gallery announced they had purchased another treasure in the same area for £32,300 or IDR 672 million.

Dorset Museum Director of Collections and Public Presentations Elizabeth Selby said the treasure was very special because of the hilt sword Made of bronze and unique decorative details on the bracelet. “In reality, there is no object comparable to the Rapier sword, so it is very important for us to have this fragment,” he said.

Selby added that the findings shed light on how people traveled, interacted and exchanged ideas on the continent in the centuries before the Roman invasion. One shows a farming community that generated enough wealth to be able to barter and exchange goods made by others.

The museum plans to display the objects in special treasure exhibitions over the next few years. They integrated it into the permanent collection.

MG/Muhammad Rauzan Ranupane Ramadan

(msf)