Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered 30 ancient coffins containing mummies in what is the largest trove found in more than a century.
The intricately-painted coffins which are estimated to be 3,000 years old were opened Saturday to reveal well-preserved mummies from the southern city of Luxor, according to the Egyptian Antiquities Ministry.
“It is the first large human coffin cache ever discovered since the end of the 19th century,” Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany said.
The two rows of coffins were discovered in a “good condition of preservation, colors and complete inscriptions” at Al-Asasif cemetery, the ministry said. They were the final resting place for male and female priests, as well as children.
The relics date back to 10th century BCE under the rule of the 22nd Pharaonic dynasty, officials said.
A dig team unearthed two rows of wooden tombs from roughly three feet of sand at Luxor’s Al-Asasif Cemetery, on the west bank of the Nile River.
The coffins were stacked on top of each other, and were sealed and intact with engravings, including the names of some of the dead.
Inside, the corpses, including those of at least two children, were completely wrapped in cloth, experts said at an unveiling ceremony on Saturday.
It’s extremely rare to find the mummified bodies of children, archaeologist Zahi Hawass told CNN.
“This will enrich our knowledge as Egyptologists about the belief of the afterlife,” he said.
They were found in “good condition of preservation, colors and complete inscriptions,” the Ministry said.
The coffins are in good shape because the Egyptians mixed natural colors from limestone and turquoise stones with egg whites, said Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
He said the coffins were most likely hidden to keep tomb robbers away from finding them.
The coffins will soon be restored and put on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is set to open next year near the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The finds come after 30 ancient workshops and a pottery kiln were unearthed in Luxor last week. Archaeologists said they now expect to uncover more ancient relics in the area.
With Post Wires