Hundreds flocked to a heritage site hoping to discover the secrets of Sussex’s history.

The Whitehawk Dig, which had everything from an archaeological excavation to a deer-carving exhibition, took place in Brighton on Saturday.

The banks at the top of Whitehawk Hill Road sit on top of ancient Stone Age ground.

Archaeologists Owen O’Donnell and John Spiller believe the area could be one of the most important for Neolithic times.

Mr O’Donnell said: “It’s an amazing piece of land and so much history lies in these banks.

“This area is one of the most important in Britain and maybe even Europe in terms of the Neolithic times.

“It shows the first initial signs of proper farming, in terms of people identifying a piece of land and taking residence there as opposed to harvesting everything there is to take and moving on.

“It's a really fascinating place and proves there were people here 5,000 years ago.”

He added: “We’re finding all sorts – we’ve found a piece of bone that’s come from a cow’s rib.

“By the way it was butchered we can tell it’s from about the World War II era because it would’ve needed a metal blade.”

Katie Warrener, who was at the dig with her children Hazel and Charlie, said: “I'm interested in the local history of Brighton and I walk across here on the way to work nearly every day.

“I think it’s so important for the kids to know what's going on around them.”

Volunteer Penny Cooper, who has been helping sift through artefacts for the Brighton and Hove Museum, said: “People know about the beach and the football and the Pavilion, but not many people know about what's on offer on their doorsteps.”

“Lots of local people have shown an interest in the history of the area - and it's all about raising awareness of the heritage of Brighton.

Matt Pope ran a butchering workshop where he carved a deer, to get people to understand the relationship they have with their food.

Event organiser Hilary Orange said “It's great to see so many people coming here on foot which shows they are local.

“That's one of the main reasons we put the project together - to educate the local people and the local kids, so it’s so pleasing to see people turn out.”