THE grave of an ancient Saxon warrior, dug up near Swindon, has been described as one of the most important discoveries in recent times.

It was found by a member of the public with a metal detector, who stumbled across the grave of the warrior and a small child from the same era in Wroughton.

Experts have asked the Evening Advertiser not to reveal the exact location of the find because they are concerned that treasure hunters could ruin a wealth of archaeological information by ransacking the graves.

But the discovery of the well-preserved skeleton of a Saxon warrior curled into a foetal position along with two iron spear heads, a shield boss and a sword, is expected to help us understand more about life in Britain 1,400 years ago.

The second grave containing the body of a young child appears to have been damaged by ploughing. Two ornate broaches were found in this grave.

All metal items have been removed from the grave by county council archaeologists and sent to a laboratory in Salisbury for analysis.

The bodies have been re-interred, their location marked.

There are about 20 such burial sites that have been found in Wiltshire.