Traces of the Maltese Islands’ rich history are everywhere you look, and while there’s a lot we’re aware of, there’s so much more that’s yet to be discovered. 

Just last week, the Heritage Data Management and Research Unit within Malta’s Superintendence of Cultural Heritage concluded the excavation of a Punic tomb which was recently unearthed during the archaeology monitoring for a plot that’s planned to be developed.

The newly discovered tomb consists of a rock-cut shaft and chamber tomb, and in it, officials discovered a skeleton, along with a number of pottery vessels. According to the Superintendence, not much is yet known about the skeleton, but it will be studied in the coming weeks to determine gender, and any other information it can provide. 

The tomb will now be protected according to the Cultural Heritage Act, and will also be listed in the National Inventory, giving us further insight into the archaeological landscape of the area.

Apparently, the plot is located very close to several other previously discovered tombs along Triq Tal-Barrani in Zejtun. Who knows what else lurks beneath the surface?

Update by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, 18th November, 9.40am

The Superintendence issued a clarification this morning regarding the location of the tomb. "Despite initially published as Zejtun, further examinations have showed that the site is in Ghaxaq," they noted, as it is found on the boundary between the two localities.