Archaeologists in the United States believe they have discovered the remains of a pioneering explorer from Suffolk.

Captain Bartholomew Gosnold set sail in 1602, landing in America long before the Pilgrim Fathers.

He named Cape Cod on the east coast, while his daughter gave her name to Martha's Vineyard.

Captain Gosnold, born in Grundisburgh, near Woodbridge, was buried at Jamestown in Virginia in 1607, aged 36.

Significant find

The estimated dating of the grave and the ceremonial artefacts found with the skeleton suggest it belongs to Captain Gosnold.

William Kelso, archaeology director of the Richmond-based Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, said: "This is just as significant as actually finding the fort.

"We're talking about finding one of the Columbus-era type guys."

The association, which began excavating the fort area in 1994, is arranging DNA tests to compare the remains to Captain Gosnold's descendants.

Mr Kelso described the skeleton as "remarkably" well-preserved.