‘Licking dog’ statue among Roman treasures

A hoard of ancient Roman bronze artefacts, described as the first of its kind in British history, has been unearthed by a pair of metal detector enthusiasts.

The 4th century hoard found by Pete Cresswell and his brother-in-law Andrew Boughton in Gloucestershire includes a healing statue sculpture of a “licking” dog never found before in the UK. It may be linked to a Roman healing temple at Lydney, near the Forest of Dean.

The artefacts are being kept under special conditions while they are catalogued for the British Museum.