Malta (Northern Region) – Punic Tomb (Xemxija)

Located in Xemxija, this rather dangerous looking hole in the ground is one of the most interesting ancient monuments in Malta. It’s a Punic tomb and dates to around 500BC and is over two metres deep, with a link to a separate and covered burial chamber at the base.

I obviously didn’t get in to have a little look in the hole of the burial chamber, but inside it is almost two metres wide, there’s a flat ceiling and a smooth floor. I know this as helpfully a sign has been placed up nearby giving these useful details.

It’s a wonderful piece of history, although I suspect that in the UK it would have been fenced off. Especially as around 15 years ago this site was vandalised with paint and stones thrown in to try and block access to it. Fortunately, the museums service corrected the damage quickly, and pleasingly access to the site hasn’t been limited.