A tomb that has been lying undisturbed, possibly for thousands of years, has been uncovered in private land in Tarxien. 

The burial site, with its stone sealing slab still in place, probably dates from the Punic period, according to experts.

It was unearthed in recent weeks by archaeologists with the architecture and consultancy firm QPM Limited, under the supervision of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.

The firm said the undisturbed tomb was a rare occurrence in Malta, revealing a chamber with an intact set of burial paraphernalia.

The untouched urns to the sides of the chamber still contain ashes resulting from cremation rituals, and are accompanied by an amphora and small sized pots which most probably held funerary goods.

The Phoenician-Punic period of the Maltese archipelago dates from around 700 BC to 218 BC.