28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

2,000-Year-Old Hellenistic Tomb Discovered Under Collapsed Port Road in Northern Cyprus

A routine alert about a collapsed road at Gazimağusa Port in Northern Cyprus has led to a remarkable archaeological breakthrough. Beneath the sunken section, a rock-cut tomb dating back over two millennia to the Hellenistic period was uncovered—offering a rare glimpse into the island’s ancient past.

Situated near the ruins of the ancient city of Salamis, Gazimağusa (Famagusta) has long held strategic and cultural significance in the Eastern Mediterranean. During the Hellenistic period (323–30 BCE), Cyprus was under Ptolemaic rule, and the region thrived as a hub of commerce, seafaring, and classical civilization. Though modern-day Gazimağusa is best known for its commercial port, archaeological finds in the area suggest layers of untapped historical wealth.

The discovery was made on June 21, 2025, when the Department of Antiquities and Museums of Northern Cyprus responded to a report of ground subsidence along a main access road in the port. Initial investigations quickly revealed that the collapse was caused by the roof of an ancient subterranean tomb giving way.

Gold leaf fragments. Credit: Department of Antiquities and Museums of Northern Cyprus
Gold leaf fragments. Credit: Department of Antiquities and Museums of Northern Cyprus

Excavations began on June 23 and revealed a rock-cut chamber tomb featuring three burial couches (klinai), with its entrance originally sealed by large stone blocks. Experts have dated the tomb to the Hellenistic era based on its architecture and the artifacts inside.

Findings from the excavation include a variety of artifacts: terracotta bowls, oil lamps, a lagynos (wine vessel), unguentaria (perfume containers), glass vials, bronze coins and pins, as well as gold leaf fragments. Human skeletal remains were also recovered from the tomb.

According to Emine Emel Ziba, Director of the Department of Antiquities and Museums of Northern Cyprus, all items will undergo thorough conservation and cataloging before being prepared for public exhibition in regional museums.

During the ongoing excavation, the site remains under the strict protection of Gazimağusa Port Security and Port Police to ensure the safety of both the archaeological team and the newly uncovered cultural heritage.

The tomb and its contents are expected to provide new insights into burial practices and material culture in ancient Cyprus during a period of strong Hellenistic influence.

Related Articles

Incredibly Rare Tyrian Purple Discovered at Carlisle Roman bathhouse

5 May 2024

5 May 2024

A rare archaeological object – thought to be the only one of its type in the former Roman Empire –...

In Lviv, Ukraine, a secret room where Jews were hiding in city sewers during the Nazi Holocaust has been unearthed

7 November 2021

7 November 2021

In the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, diggers have uncovered new hiding spots in underground sewers where some Jews managed...

Ancient Roman coin thought to be fake -certainly authentic and proves the existence of ‘forgotten’ leader Sponsian, study claims

26 November 2022

26 November 2022

History is littered with artifacts that were later discovered to be forgeries, but the opposite can also occur. A new...

350,000-Year-Old Human Settlement have been Discovered on the Arabian Peninsula

17 May 2021

17 May 2021

One of the world’s oldest Acheulean sites was found in the northern region of Hail in Saudi Arabia. Al Nasim...

A Batavian Cavalry Mask was found on the Battlefield of Roman Comrades

22 July 2022

22 July 2022

Archaeologists have discovered that a rusty corroded plate they found 4 years ago at an old battlefield in the city...

Could Therasia’s 4,500-Year-Old Seals Be the Missing Link in Aegean Writing?

3 June 2025

3 June 2025

Therasia’s archaeological discovery offers significant insights, influencing our understanding of Early Bronze Age communication and the emergence of writing in...

Researchers decipher enigmatic ancient ‘Unknown Kushan Script’

13 July 2023

13 July 2023

A research team at the University of Cologne’s Department of Linguistics deciphered a writing system belonging to the Kushan Empire,...

Riddle of Former Crater Lakes in the Highest Mountains of the Sahara Solved

18 August 2025

18 August 2025

An interdisciplinary research team, led by scientists from the Free University of Berlin and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology,...

New Moai statue discovered on Easter Island

1 March 2023

1 March 2023

A new Moai statue has been discovered on Rapa Nui, a Chilean territory known as Easter Island. The sacred monument,...

5,000-Year-Old “Küllüoba Bread” Discovered in Türkiye Reveals Ancient Baking and Fertility Rituals

30 May 2025

30 May 2025

5,000-year-old bread found in Küllüoba Höyük, Turkey reveals ancient baking methods and fertility rituals. Unique archaeological discovery with rich nutritional...

3500-year-old ceramic oven discovered in Turkey’s Tepecik Mound

24 August 2021

24 August 2021

A 3,500-year-old ceramic oven was unearthed in Tepecik Mound in the Çine district of Aydın, in western Turkey. Tepecik Höyük,...

2,300-year-old Buddhist temple discovered in Pakistan

23 December 2021

23 December 2021

Remains of a 2300 years old Buddhist Temple have been discovered in Northwest Pakistan by a joint team of Pakistani...

Man-made Viking-era cave discovered in Iceland Bigger, Older Than Previously Thought

2 June 2022

2 June 2022

Archaeologists from the Archaeological Institute of Iceland have uncovered an extensive system of interconnected structures that are not only much...

Archaeologists find evidence of how Iron Age Britons adapted to the Roman conquest in Winterborne Kingston

29 June 2024

29 June 2024

Archaeologists from Bournemouth University (BU) have discovered human remains and artifacts which give new insight into how early Britons adapted...

Silver coins found near the ruins of the medieval monastery in Holy island

10 November 2021

10 November 2021

Archaeologists have discovered a silver coin on Lindisfarne, known as Holy Island, in the northeast of England. Dig Ventures is...