During our second year of university, we were briefed by the Yorkshire Museum to create animations for their new exhibit about the Ryedale Roman Hoard.
The Ryedale Roman Hoard was found by metal detectorists James Spark and Mark Didlick in a field near Ampleforth in Ryedale, North Yorkshire, in May 2020. The Hoard comprises of four pieces of metalwork; a plumb bob (a tool used for creating straight lines), a small horse and rider statue, the front half of a horse (thought to be the handle for a key), and a bust for the top of a sceptre. The bust is thought to be modelled after Emperor Marcus Aurelius, which dates The Hoard to be from the late 2nd-century AD.
Nothing is known about who buried The Hoard, but there are theories of who might have done it;
- A solider before battle as an offering to the Gods for them to protect him
- A priest as part of a religious ceremony
- A farmer as an offering to the Gods to ask for the harvest to be fruitful
- A metalworker stashing his hoard to keep it safe
These theories were part of the exhibit for guests to decide who might have done it. The brief were given by the Museum was centred around this mystery.