Roman bronze pan saved for nation

The rare bronze pan will be shared by three museums

A rare Roman bronze pan recording the building of Hadrian's Wall has been acquired by three British museums.

The Staffordshire Moorlands Pan, dating from the second century AD, was found by a member of the public in June 2003.

The pan, or 'trulla', will be shared by the Tullie House Museum in Carlisle, the Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent and London's British Museum.

The acquisition has been made possible by a £112,200 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Both a functional vessel and a commemorative 'souvenir', the pan is engraved with the names of four forts located at the western end of the Wall - Bowes, Drumburgh, Stanwix and Castlesteads.

It also bears the inscription of 'Aelius Draco' - believed to be the person the pan was made for.

"This 2,000-year-old souvenir is a very special part of our past and one which people across the country should have the chance to see," said Kate Clark of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Replicas will be made to enable the public to see a representation of the pan while the original is elsewhere.