A Byzantine-era tomb complex has been discovered by a construction workers clearing the rubble of a destroyed building in the northern Syrian city of Maarat al-Numan. The complex dates to around the 6th century and is composed of two large burial chambers with multiple tombs.Each contained six stone tombs, with the sign of the cross etched into the top of one stone column.Based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era, director of antiquities in the towns Idlib province, Hassan al-Ismail, said.Maarat al-Numan is located on the highway that links Damascus with Syrias second largest city, Aleppo. Since war broke out in 2012, the city found itself in the crosshairs of intense fighting between the forces of then-president Bashar al-Assad and the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that would ultimately seize power.Control of the city changed hands several times over the course of the war. Between the fighting on the ground, artillery bombardments and Russian air strikes, the city, which had a population of 100,000 before the war, was left an empty shell, its residents fleeing to displacement camps. After the fall of Assad on December 8, 2024, not a single building survived unscathed and the streets were littered with uncleared bodies, mines and unexploded ordinance.People have begun to rebuild in earnest now, with residents returning to their former homes to put the pieces back together. The rubble removal uncovered stone chambers underground, spurring residents to alert the provincial Directorate of Antiquities who sent a team of archaeologists to excavate and law enforcement to secure the site.