Archaeologists have excavated a Roman-era necropolis discovered near the Syrian port city of Latakia during building work for a block of flats, the official SANA news agency reported Tuesday.

"The necropolis, buried at a depth of two meters [six-and-a-half feet], was hewn from a solid block of rock," it said.

"The discovery happened during excavation work for building a block of flats" in Beit Suhin, outside the northwestern city of Latakia, it added.

"Excavations ... saw the discovery of a necropolis in which two terracotta jars dating from around 2,000 years ago were found," Latakia antiquities chief Jamal Haidar was quoted as saying.

"The necropolis consists of six family tombs from the Roman era," he said.