PESHAWAR: An ancient well was unearthed in an old graveyard in Charsadda on Saturday when unknown people exhumed a grave, said an official from the archaeology department.

The well was uncovered when a grave was dug along a roadside graveyard.

"It is an ancient well, almost 60 feet deep," said Mir Hayat Khan, an official from the archaeology department.

The official added that various such wells have been identified, and are thought to be from the British era. Khan could not confirm if any artifacts were discovered from the well.

"We will be able to say something after proper investigation is carried out with the help of local police," he said.

An area resident claimed that after recovering the artifacts, the perpetrators did not bury the well as they were in a hurry to leave and not get caught.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Archaeology Department Director Dr. Abdul Samad said: "Charsadda is rich in archaeological sites and a number of archaeological sites have been identified in the area."

The Charsadda graveyard located in the Palang area is the second largest graveyard in South Asia, the director claimed.

“I will inform our relevant officials in the district and report to the area police to further investigate the issue,” Dr. Samad told.

Charsadda was the first capital of Ghandhara civilization, but Dr. Samad believed that the well was built during the British Raj era.

Most of the archaeological sites in the area have been occupied by artifact robbers and they are regularly involved in digging at the sites, added the director.