German Court Awards Farmer $1 Million for 2000-Year-Old Bronzed Horse Head Found in His Well

A lucky discovery made nearly a decade ago just got even luckier for one German farmer. In 2009, archaeologists excavating a former Roman settlement on the man's farm in Lahnau, Germany found a 2000-year-old bronzed horse head, and now Artnet reports that the property's owner has been awarded roughly $904,000 for the artifact.

The gold leaf–covered head, which weighs about 55 pounds and measures 20 inches long, had likely been part of a larger statue, as indicated by a bronzed foot found nearby. Experts believe the horse's rider was Augustus, Rome's emperor at the turn of the first millennium CE. The head had been preserved under water at the bottom of a 36-foot well for years, making the find even more remarkable.

The anonymous farmer was originally given $55,946 for the artifact by the German state Hesse, but after reading news reports declaring it to be one of the best-preserved Roman bronzes ever discovered, he suspected he'd been underpaid, and sued. On July 27, a German court ruled that he was entitled to half the head's worth. The object is valued at around $1.8 million, which means the farmer is now owed nearly $904,000 plus interest. The German state has yet to say whether or not it plans to appeal the case.

The general area where the horse head was found has produced a wealth of Roman artifacts. Experts think the Romans had been planning to make the town into a major capital city. Plans changed abruptly after three Roman legions were defeated by Germanic tribesmen in 9 CE, prompting the Romans to abandon their settlement and the fancy bronze statue of their leader along with it.

[h/t Artnet]