A small hoard of Roman objects including a rare ceremonial rattle has been unearthed in Chilterns, Buckinghamshire, and goes on display today at the Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury.Metal detectorist Adam McLelland discovered the group of two studs with millefiori pattern enamel, a glass gaming piece, a bone die and the component pieces of a bronze rattle. Very few of this type of rattle, known as a sistrum in Latin, have been found in Britain. While the rattle was broken apart, every piece of it survived.The rattle was shaken during religious ceremonies. The metallic jingle was believe to ward off evil spirits. They were likely required elements in the rituals of mystery cults as some deities, like Cybele and Isis, were depicted holding a sistrum.The finder reported his discovery to the Portable Antiquities Scheme Finds Liaison Officer, and the Buckinghamshire Council quickly contracted Oxford Archaeology to excavate the find site. They found traces of textile, which they believe was the remnants of a cloth bag or wrap that contained the hoard when it was buried.Normally a hoard like this would be declared treasure and then assessed for market value. A local museum would be given the opportunity to acquire the hoard for the assessed sum, and the money would be split between the finder and landowner. In this case, the finder and landowner both agreed to donate the objects to the Discover Bucks Museum. A private donor then funded the necessary conservation, which was complex and time-consuming, especially for the enameled surface of the studs.