It was a chance in a million that led forensic experts to dig up an extremely rare seventh-century Coptic bowl while hunting for clues after the discovery of an ancient skull.

It was first feared that the remains belonged to a murder victim, sparking a full-scale police excavation over the weekend.

Today, however, it emerged that the bones are probably from the grave of a rich warlord from the ancient kingdom of Mercia, who was buried alongside the priceless bowl. It would once have been used for washing people's feet, and was a symbol of extreme wealth in Anglo-Saxon times.

Today, the 2ft-wide solid brass bowl that came to Peterborough from the Mediterranean 1,300 years ago was described as the "Rolls of Royce of finds" by Dr Francis Pryor, an expert from Channel Four's Time Team programme and the city's Flag Fen bronze age site.

Dr Pryor said: "This is a very exciting find dating back to the time when Peterborough was just coming into existence.

"Rich warriors, or merchants, used to flaunt their wealth, and this bowl would be the equivalent in today's world of a Rolls-Royce, only much more expensive.

"This bowl would belong to someone who was a very senior public person, such as a prince or a lord, who was probably related to King Peda, who established Peterborough in about 650 AD.

"The idea of burying such a high status object was a way of showing your position in society. an object like this could only have been afforded by the richest men."

The find has sent a ripple of excitement through the region's archeological community, with historical experts working on the site in Palmerston Road, Woodston, today in search of other ancient artifacts.

The initial discovery was made by Helen McGlashon (26), who unearthed human bones on her allotment on Saturday morning.

When The Evening Telegraph told Helen, of Belsize Avenue, Woodston, what her find had led to today, she was astonished.

She said: "I'm totally gobsmacked and actually feel quite emotional about it.

"It's so exciting, as I'm a huge fan of archeology and love watching Time Team.

"I've been wondering what this person looked like. It's incredible to think it could be the grave of a prince or a lord."

The allotments could be the site of a Mercian graveyard, where ancient swords or armour may have been buried in the tombs of warriors, similar to the Suffolk graveyard of Sutton Hoo.

Throughout the Bronze Age, Peterborough was home to some of the nation's most powerful warlords, including the 11th-century warrior Hereward the Wake, who fought William the Conqueror.

The bowl is now being examined by forensic archeologist Corinne Duhig at Anglia Ruskin University, in Cambridge.

Today, she said: "It's very exciting to find something like this alongside these bones.

"It's a very substantial object and they are not very common finds. It was about this time that they started to find things from the Eastern Mediterranean, which is where this bowl is likely to have been made. It's an amazing discovery."