Ryedale Hoard: Yorkshire Museum acquire incredible Roman treasures from man who bought them at auction

Last year the Roman hoard, also known as the Ryedale Ritual Bronzes, was sold at auction to collector David Aaron for over £90,000.

Amateur metal detectorists James Spark 40, and Mark Didlick, 44, found the 2,000-year-old collection, which is believed to have been buried as part of a Roman religious ceremony in AD160, in a field near Ampleforth in 2020.

The artefacts include a bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who was a character in the film Gladiator, statue of the god Mars, a knife handle in the shape of a horse's head and a large bronze pendulum.

Mr Spark and Mr Didlick reported their finds officially by handing them to York Museums Trust, and they were then declared treasure at a coronial inquest and passed to the government's Portable Antiquities Scheme for recording.

However the York Museums Trust has now been able to buy the items back from Mr Aaron thanks to a donation from American philanthropist Richard Beleson and an Arts Fund grant.

They will go on display to the public in a new exhibition a the Yorkshire Museum opening on April 8.

The Ryedale Hoard: A Roman Mystery will explore who could have buried the cache and the rituals surrounding the objects.