Archaeologists have uncovered an underground burial chamber of one of the ancient mausoleums at the Dutch cemetery at Katargam. This is the second discovery of the burial chamber at the cemetery here, after the tomb of Baron Adrian Van Reede, who was the director of the Dutch company in the Indies.

The chamber was found few days ago during the excavation of debris accumulated due to the floods that ravaged the city in 2006.

The Dutch designed this chamber to withstand tons of pressure from the top of the mausoleum consisting of a single cupola of great size and supported by the handsome columns of stone. The chamber, covered by impressive blocks of stone, helped contain the room from crumbling inward and keeping it upright.

Located in the walled city, the Dutch as well as Armenian cemeteries at Surat situated in a locality known as Gulam Falia' near the main road leading to Katargam Gate, is one of the last remaining testimony to the Dutch settlements that were sprinkled around the country before East India Company set base in India.

Dr V Shivananda, superintending archaeologist (Vadodara Circle), said, "This is the second underground burial chamber in the Dutch graveyard in Surat. The digging of the burial chamber is still incomplete and we plan to finish it by the next month."

Sources said the condition of the Dutch cemetery was bad before it was handed over to the ASI. Anti-social elements made the cemeteries Dutch and Armenian their second home during the night. In the past, these elements were involved in stealing marble slabs, which formed the edifices.

A senior archaeologist, on condition of anonymity, said, "We have not been able to trace the history of some of the Dutch tombs, as the marble slabs were stolen in the past."