A HOARD of ancient Roman bronze artefacts discovered in Gloucestershire includes a unique sculpture of a ‘licking’ dog, never found before in Britain – and archaeologists have a fascinating theory about its origins and why it was hidden.

The discovery was made by a local metal detectorist who contacted the county’s archaeology team.

The licking dog is an example of a healing statue, and may be linked to the Roman healing temple at Lydney.

The artefacts appear to have been deliberately broken and hidden – with the exception of the dog statue, which, fortunately, remains intact.

Archaeologists believe the items could have been stashed by a metal worker who intended to retrieve them at a later date in order to melt and re-cast them.

Experts are piecing together the clues, and the British Museum will reveal their findings at the end of the year.