The Anglo-Saxon ship-burial at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk has been voted by the public the top treasure of the British Museum.

It beat into second place the Vindolanda Tablets, found in Northumberland, which were voted top of a poll of museum experts.

Also in the top ten is the Snettisham Hoard, found in Norfolk, and the Mildenhall Treasure and Hoxne Hoard, both found in Suffolk.

The internet poll was conducted by the BBC for its programme Meet the Ancestors.

Top Ten Treasures 1. Sutton Hoo ship burial, Suffolk 2. Vindolanda Tablets, Northumberland 3. Lewis Chessmen 4. Snettisham Hoard, Norfolk 5. Mildenhall Treasure, Suffolk 6. Mold Gold Cape, north Wales 7. The Ringlemere and Rillaton Cups, Kent 8. Hoxne Hoard, Suffolk 9. Fishpool Hoard, Lancashire 10. Cuerdale Hoard, Lancashire

The Anglo-Saxon burial site at Sutton Hoo was discovered just before the start of World War II.

At the centre of the burial site archaeologists found an entire Anglo-Saxon ship buried in a mound and containing the most highly-crafted swords, shield, belt and buckles - all made in gold and many intricately inlaid with garnets.

It also contained a helmet.

The Vindolanda Tablets were found by archaeologist Robin Birley near Hadrian's Wall, in Northumberland in 1975.

In all, there are more than 400 tablets - postcard-sized slivers of wood on which notes and letters were written in ink.

Written tablets

Evidence at the site dated the tablets to the first century AD, making them one of the earliest written records ever found in Britain.

The Mildenhall Treasure consists of a set of Roman tableware, including the Great Dish with engravings showing pagan gods.

The Hoxne Treasure consists of jewellery, precious tableware and toilet instruments, along with 15,000 gold, silver and bronze coins.

The Snettisham Treasure includes coins, ingots and torcs (heavy silver and gold neck rings).