In Mizieb there was a rock-cut tomb which was found by serendipity
by workmen, when they were digging to lay a cable. It seems that
this tomb was filled with rubble and thus unable to be seen.
This rock-cut tomb was found on 16 November 1938, when a number
of workmen went to the Mellieha police with an antique jar. The
police immediately reported the Museums Department about this
case. When the archaeologists examined the site they revealed
that a burial chamber was cut through at a depth of 1 foot 6 inches
below the surface of the road. It is a probability that a long
time ago the roof of the tomb had fallen and the chamber was filled
with stones and soil. The debris damaged and disturbed the contents
of the tomb. 1
Unfortunately, the excavation had to be carried in a hurry because
of the urgency of the works. Therefore, it was not possible to
examine the site in detail. The archaeological report of the site
is very limited but it contains very useful information. The report
says that the rectangular entrance to the burial chamber was facing
North and its dimensions were 3 feet 6 inches in length, 3 feet
in breadth, and 2 feet 6 inches high.
Two human remains were found and from their examination it is
possible to determine their age. One corpse belonged to an old
man and the other belonged to an individual of about 24 years.
2
Apart from the corpses, some small funerary pottery shreds were
found, but, unfortunately the type of vases could not be determined
with certainty. The jar that was found by the workmen is an amphorae,
2 feet high, with a cylindrical body and a rounded lower extremity,
short necked and armed with two lateral and vertical handles attached
to the upper part of the body. The only other object that was
recovered was a bowl with an everted rim, 3¾inches in diameter.
3