Archaeologists have unearthed a large Roman cemetery in a Gloucestershire gravel quarry.

More than 100 people are believed to have been buried at the site, near Fairford, which dates back 1,600 years.

It is thought the dead were interred according to their age, as children's bodies have been found in one area with adults in another section.

Experts said the find is unusual because no big settlements are known to have existed nearby in the Roman era.

Dr Alex Smith, Oxford Archaeology's project manager said: "Large Roman cemeteries like this are usually only found around towns or substantial settlements, but no such site has been found here yet.

"We believe a small Roman farm lies immediately to the west, and it may be that the cemetery acted as a communal burial ground for the local rural population."

He added: "We hope that further work will reveal more of how people lived and died in this region, around 1,600 years ago."