Local poet Robert Elliott made the find while walking near the river in his hometown, initially mistaking the mud-covered object for an old shoe. Recalling the moment, Robert said: "One day, I noticed something sticking out of the mud near the water's edge. After washing some of the mud away in the river, Robert realised he had found something much more significant. "I dunked it in the river to wash some of the mud away, and that's when I realised it was something more interesting," he explained. Despite recognising its potential importance, Robert left the item where he found it before returning home to tell his father.