|PIC1|Archaeologists have said they have found the remnants of the tomb of King Herod on a flattened hilltop in the Judean Desert yesterday.

Israeli archaeologist Ehud Netzer claims that the tomb of the legendary builder of ancient Jerusalem has been found at Herodium where he has been exploring since the 1970s.

Netzer, of Hebrew University, explained that his team had found pieces of a limestone sarcophagus that they understand to have belonged to Herod.

The claim is based on the sarcophagus' location and its ornate appearance, which Netzer said is not something that is often seen. He claimed: "It's a sarcophagus we don't just see anywhere. It is something very special."

Other experts have said that the find amounts to a landmark discovery, although they realised further tests were necessary, and they were hoping an inscription of Herod's name would be found soon.

|PIC2|Floral motifs decorated the carved limestone fragments, which as of yet have not included any inscriptions. However, archaeologists explain that all the current signs point to verifying the claims that the tomb does in fact belong to the ancient king.

King Herod was the ruler of the Holy Land when it was under Roman rule from about 40 BC. Once installed, he built a great wall around the old city of Jerusalem, which can still be seen today.

Archaeologists have always believed that Herod was buried at Herodium, which is one of the final strong points held by Jewish rebels fighting against the Romans. However, until now excavations in the region have been unable to pinpoint the exact site.