Workers refurbishing the Gozo Ministry last month accidentally discovered a tomb which is possibly thousands of years old and it is believed it could be just one of many others scattered underneath the building. 

It is still unclear what period it dates back to, as investigations by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage (SCH) are still ongoing, but archaeologists believe it is a tomb that could date back to the Punic era – meaning it could be around 2,000 years old.

Workers at the Gozo Ministry stumbled upon a relatively deep hole during refurbishment works last month.

Frank Muscat, who is the architect overseeing the works at the ministry, told Times of Malta that the tomb was accidentally discovered when workers dismantled a wall and unearthed a gaping hole in the ground. “They stumbled upon it, and it was quite deep,” he said.

“We immediately stopped works and informed the SCH. Archaeologists came on site a few days later and learned that the hole led to an important archaeological feature – probably a tomb.

“Investigations are still at an early stage and nothing can be asserted with certainty so far, but indications are that it is likely not just one, but a series of tombs, possibly of the Punic era.”

Some pieces of what appears to be broken pottery were found inside the hole, but it is too early to tell whether the tomb had been discovered before. The Knights of Malta, who built part of the building that houses the ministry, might have discovered the tomb when they were excavating the site and emptied it of anything valuable, and then built on top of it.

Some pottery fragments were found inside the tomb, but it is still unclear how far back they date.

In that case, the remaining objects that are being unearthed now are just fragments of what was originally buried in ancient times, but the discovery will still likely be archaeologically significant

The Gozo Ministry is currently undergoing refurbishment works to make it accessible for all and get it in line with modern health and safety regulations. The ministry building houses several different government services.

But the building also rests on a very archaeologically sensitive site, forcing excavations in the area to frequently come to a halt at the sight of any object that could remotely be of historic significance.

In the 19th century, archaeologist Antonio Annetto Caruana unearthed several tombs in the surrounding areas and researched them and documented them meticulously.

Being in the suburb of Cittadella, that area of Victoria was likely considered sacred land in ancient times and was earmarked for human burial.