Golden Bust of Marcus Aurelius

The Golden Bust of Marcus Aurelius is a golden bust of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius discovered on April 19, 1939 in Avenches, in western Switzerland. Measuring high and weighing , it is the largest known metal bust of a Roman emperor and is considered one of the most important archaeological finds in Switzerland. It is amongst six known golden busts made during the Roman Imperial Period. Discovered by chance during an excavation of the sewers of the Cigognier sanctuary in Aventicum, the bust is kept for security at the Banque cantonale vaudoise in Lausanne; a copy is on permanent display at the Roman Museum in Avenches. The original has only been exhibited a dozen times, including two exhibitions in Avenches, in 1996 and 2006. The bust is attributed to a goldsmith from the Aventicum region, although the rarity of ancient busts in precious metals prevents a clear analysis of its style. Initially identified as the emperor Antoninus Pius, the bust is more frequently considered to represent his successor, Marcus Aurelius, in his old age. The identification of the bust, supported by the study of portraits of Roman emperors from period numismatics and emperors' busts, is not universally supported: the archaeologist Jean-Charles Balty believes that the bust represents the emperor Julian. The gold bust was discovered on April 19, 1939 in Avenches by unemployed workers from Lausanne participating in an occupational program organized by the association Pro Aventico which manages the city's ancient heritage. They were under the direction of the cantonal archaeologist Louis Bosset, the curator of the Roman Museum of Avenches Jules Bourquin and the scientific director of the site André Rais since October 21, 1938; their mission consisted mainly in revealing the outline of the building attached to the Cigognier column. It was during the excavation of sewer number 1 of the site that a worker hit a metal object with his pickaxe; the bust was in a pipe, buried in silt and black earth, and was almost entirely covered with limestone.