Wiltshire and Swindon has been named as a UK hotspot for buried treasure by a new study.

The research examined government data on treasure finds from 2012 to 2023 across all UK counties.

Wiltshire and Swindon ranked eighth with 526 finds up to the end of last year.

Norfolk leads the nation with 1,201 recorded finds since 2012 due to its rich history dating back to the Iceni tribe, ancient Britons who lived in the area before the Roman conquest.

Suffolk followed in second place with 776 cases of treasure being found.

Alongside Norfolk, it was part of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of East Anglia, a region frequently raided by Vikings and later incorporated into the Norse-occupied Danelaw under Danish King Guthrum.

Essex made up the top three with 709 discoveries, suggesting the East of England is a prime location for unearthing hidden riches.

The flat, rural landscapes of these counties are ideal for treasure hunting, which might explain the abundance of finds.

The other counties to make the top 10 were Lincolnshire, Hampshire, Kent, north Yorkshire, Dorset and Oxfordshire with 686, 671, 634, 608, 425 and 417 finds respectively.