Ancient tomb complex discovered under ruins in Syria
During excavations at the site of a destroyed house in northern Syria, a worker came across an unexpected find: the remains of an underground Byzantine tomb, estimated to be more than 1,500 years old, The Associated Press reports
This discovery was made last month in the town of Maarat Al-Numan in the Idlib Province, which lies on the road between the cities of Aleppo and Damascus. This settlement has suffered greatly during the war. Houses were looted and destroyed.
“Now residents are beginning to return and rebuild. In the course of a reconstruction project, stone openings were uncovered indicating the presence of ancient graves. Residents notified the Directorate of Antiquities, which dispatched a specialised team to inspect and secure the site,” the publication reads.
This is a residential area with rows of cinder-block buildings, many of which have been damaged. Next to one of these buildings, a pit leads down to the entrances to two burial chambers, each containing six stone tombs. A cross is carved on top of one of the stone columns.
