The Englishman found a 2000-year-old bronze figurine with a huge articulated phallus (4 photos)

69-year-old Paul Shepherd found an unusual Celtic artifact in the time of the event organized by fellow treasure hunters using a metal detector.





According to Shepherd, his wife Joanna had just found medieval penny, when he himself heard the beep of his new metal detector. The man began to dig and at a depth of about 25 centimeters came across a metal object. At first Shepherd thought that he found a large steel cotter pin used to fasten the wheels to carts. But when he looked closer, he saw the outlines face and realized that the find is much more interesting.

The artifact found by Shepherd is a bronze naked figure with a huge articulated phallus, which she holds in right hand.



Tiny object 5.5 centimeters high and 1.2 cm wide will be auctioned by Noonans in Mayfair, London. preliminary Artifact valuation - from 800 to 1200 pounds.

Nigel Mills, consultant on coins and artifacts from Noonans, said: "Dating from the Celtic period from the 1st century AD, this is a depiction of a fertility god, probably based on a Roman god Mercury, as he holds the bag in his left hand. This man's a figure with a huge phallus on hinges symbolized good luck and protection from evil spirits and, possibly, served as a locking mechanism, a buckle to hold the belt and scabbard for the sword. She's one of a kind, I hope She will get a lot of attention."

Phalluses were widely used in the Roman Empire as a symbol failure protection. Small phalluses carved from bone or made of metal, usually worn as pendants, and at home often decorated with frescoes or mosaics depicting phalluses.



Shepherd, who is on a treasure hunt with metal detector for 25 years, said: “What I like about searching with metal detector is that you absolutely do not expect what exactly you will find, and this find, of course, is completely unexpected!

“At first we thought it was a Roman figurine, because the warriors wore phallic pendants, but they, so to speak, did not have moving parts, but this figure was made by the Celts, who added an articulated element, making it very artistic, which is perhaps even more obvious expressed their feelings,” Shepherd added. - We hope for the proceeds pay for my wife's vacation with her mom."