Ancient weapons that lay buried on a remote down for more than 1,500 years have gone on show.

The two Anglo-Saxon spear heads were discovered by John Godden while cultivating fields on the Lambourn Downs, near Wantage.

The 66-year-old farmer, of Sheepdrove Warren Farm, Letcombe Bassett, was amazed to find the forged iron spikes the only historic artefacts found at the farm.

The spears were brought into Wantage's Vale and Downland Museum for dating by his wife, Mrs SusanGodden, and now form part of an exhibition on the White Horse area. It runs until Saturday.

Mrs Godden said she was delighted to see the spears on show. She said: "I couldn't believe it when I saw them, and didn't realise how old they were until we brought them to the museum. We weren't really interested in history before, but when you find things like this, it makes you think. It is incredible to imagine that someone would have been fighting or hunting in such a lonely place all those years ago."

Museum curator Richard Halliwell said: "It is remarkable that they have remained in the ground for 1,500 years.

They certainly show the expertise of Saxon metalworkers, and have attracted a lot of interest."

The White Horse Experience exhibition also features work produced by children at Wantage Primary School and Fitzwaryn School.