TWO Bronze Age bracelets have been unearthed as part of the excavations on the East Kent Access Road between Sandwich and Ramsgate.

The gold jewellery, which has lain buried for 2,700 years, is among a haul of 10,000 items discovered by 91 volunteers and 150 experts taking part in the dig – the biggest archaeological excavation in the country this year.

The bracelets – dating from around 700 BC – were lying on top of a pile of earth dug from a trench.

They were spotted by Kent County Council principal archaeological officer Simon Mason .

He said: "It was incredible, a really exciting find. I couldn't believe it when I saw them. It's the first time I have found gold in 20 or 30 years as an archaeologist.

"They looked too good to be real. I picked them up and took them over to my colleagues and said 'What do you make of these?'

"They were quite tarnished to start with. When we washed them and cleaned them we realised they were something special."

It is thought they were children's bracelets that may have been a worship offering, placed near to water. They were found together, one pushed inside the other.

There is evidence of a Bronze Age settlement on the site, and five hoards of bronze objects of a similar age to the bracelets have been found in the same area.

Mr Mason said: "Their real value to me as an archaeologist is how they contribute to the story we are putting together from our excavations on the road. With all the thousands of everyday objects we have dug up they are really helping to shed new light on the lives of prehistoric, Roman and Saxon people."

The remains of prehistoric burial monuments, Iron Age enclosures and a village which would have witnessed the Roman invasion, Saxon cemeteries, tracks and the remains of a shellfish processing site are among the discoveries made by the archaeologists at the dig.

The bracelets are being kept secure by Oxford Wessex Archaeology until they can be declared treasure by the North East Kent Coroner. It is hoped they will eventually be put on display locally.

Dr Andrew Fitzpatrick, from Oxford Wessex Archaeology, said: "The gold bracelets are stunning. They are stand-out finds from a huge excavation. A wealth of information has been recovered by everyone who helped, but the work is not finished. Now we have to study the findings – which is a bit like doing a jigsaw. When we have put together all the tiny pieces there will be a new picture of the history of Kent."

The excavation is now almost finished. Work on the East Kent Access Road, taking in the A256 and A299 to create better links in east Kent, is costing £87 million and should be complete by 2012.