Finding A Treasure
When Miles Burke, a history teacher, unearthed an antique treasure in his backyard, he must have felt like he was on top of the world.
He was ecstatic with what he found and hoped it would lighten his financial burdens. But he hadn't anticipated all of the problems that the finding would bring into his life.
History Teacher
Miles Burke was a 29-year-old history teacher in Cornwall, UK.
His one true love was history, more specifically, Roman History. He had always dreamed of obtaining his Ph.D. and focusing more on academic research, but life got in the way of his dreams.
His Perfect Match
During his studies, Miles fell in love with one of his classmates. She loved history almost as much as he did, and needless to say, they were a match made in heaven.
As soon as they finished their undergraduate degrees, the topic of marriage and children crossed their minds.
Set For Life
It is natural to question whether it would be possible to start a family while pursuing his academic career, as both require a lot of time and attention.
However, Miles received a sizeable inheritance from a relative, so he was not concerned about his future. He was confident that he would pay for his Ph.D. while working at a pace that worked for him; however, this did not go as planned.
Stranger
A strange character entered the picture a few weeks after Mile's family member died. It was a guy who claimed to be the deceased relative's secret child; if this were true, he would be entitled to a large portion of the estate, which would directly oppose Miles' objectives.
Determining that man's genuine identity would be critical to Miles' plans' viability.
His True Identity
Identifying the strange man was a lengthy and expensive process, and unfortunately, the estate paid for it.
After everything was said and done, Miles had no more money left. He could no longer support taking care of his family while pursuing his Ph.D., and he had to change his priorities.
Alternatives
He was lucky enough to secure a position at a school as a history teacher. He was grateful, as the job was still within his interests, and he could do something he loved while taking care of his family.
It broke his heart to put his goals and dreams on hold, despite it being temporary. However, something occurred that had the possibility of changing his life.
Reigniting The Spark
In an attempt to brighten Miles's sour mood, his wife got him a metal detector as a gift. Numismatics, or the study of ancient coins, had piqued his attention throughout his undergraduate years, and he had wanted to perform some research on the matter.
His wife thought that if Miles went around searching for ancient coins, he would remember why he was doing all of this. She had hoped that it would reignite his passion. However, Miles' life would undergo an even more unforeseen upheaval due to his new love.
He Found Something
Miles loved his new gift so much, and he spent every afternoon walking around his backyard with his toy. His searches were fruitless, but he did not mind; he enjoyed looking for the coins.
Out of nowhere, his metal detector made a noise. Miles was ecstatic and immediately followed the beeps. He grabbed a shovel and started digging; maybe he'll uncover anything intriguing this time, or simply a pile of spare parts?
Incredible Find
He spent an hour digging, but once he saw what the metal detector was trying to show him, his jaw dropped!
It was a lovely gold ring with an emerald stone set in the center. After looking at it for a time, Miles got an inkling and dashed to his study. His instincts were affirmed: it was a Roman ring from the first or second century AD. It was of incalculable worth.
Was It Authentic?
Quickly, Miles went to the local university to present his discovery to the scholars. Over there, a group of archeologists and historians kept the ring in order to examine it and determine its authenticity.
Miles felt on top of the world. He would be able to co-author a paper about the ring, which would make his entry into academic research easier. He would also be able to sell it to a museum or a collector for a good sum of money. But something was about to happen that would threaten Miles’ hopes.
An Envious Fellow?
The discovery had been published in the local papers and one of Miles’ fellow teachers had read about it. And for some reason, he had told the authorities at the school that it was a fugazi or, in other words, a fake; he accused Miles of being a shameless scammer who had never got over his failed dream of getting into academic research. Miles was then suspended from his position at the school until the matter was cleared.
The motives for this accusation are unknown and will most likely remain personal and private to the parts of the conflict. However, the intervention of a group of students was decisive in this question.
Local Students Step In
At the local university, the professors of the archeology and Roman history departments had shared the discovery with their students and had encouraged them to analyze the ring as coursework. It was widely accepted by everyone at the university, from students to professors, that the ring was real.
The students were particularly excited about the finding since it represented a challenge to the established theories about Roman presence in Cornwall. Which is why they found the suspension of Miles unfair and organized a demonstration in front of his school to protest against it.
They Organized A Protest
The students were particularly excited about the finding since it represented a challenge to the established theories about Roman presence in Cornwall.
This is why they found the suspension of Miles unfair and organized a demonstration in front of his school to protest against it.
A Happy Ending
Finally, the authorities at Mile’s school came to their senses and allowed Miles to get back to teaching. As of today, Miles is still teaching History at that same school.
He also received a good sum of money for the ring and he’s currently co-authoring a paper about it with two professors from the local university, one from the archeology department and the other from the Roman history one. It is expected that he will be offered a position as a PhD student for the course starting in September this year.