Sixteen ancient tombs containing mummified bodies of high priests uncovered in Egypt

Harry Pettit, Senior Digital Technology and Science Reporter

Published: 6:25 ET, Jan 31 2020

THE tombs of Ancient Egyptian high priests and sarcophagi dedicated to the sky god Horus are among a treasure trove of discoveries made by archaeologists.

Sixteen tombs filled with remains and artefacts dating back thousands of years were unveiled Thursday following excavations at a vast burial ground in central Egypt.

An Egyptian mummy in a limestone sarcophagus is inspected by an archaeologistCredit: AFP - Getty

Egypts Antiquities Ministry announced the discoveries in the village of Tuna al-Gabal, near the Nile Valley city of Minya.

The site boasts an array of previously excavated finds, including funerary buildings and catacombs filled with thousands of mummified ibis and baboon birds.

The long-abandoned tombs date back to three dynasties, from 664-399 BC, in the Pharaonic Late Period.

Among the new treasures presented are 20 sarcophagi made from limestone and etched with hieroglyphic texts.

Sixteen tombs filled with ancient remains and artefacts were unveiled ThursdayCredit: AFP - Getty

A limestone sarcophagus engraved with hieroglyphicsCredit: AFP - Getty

The long-abandoned tombs date back to three dynasties, from 664-399 BC, in the Pharaonic Late PeriodCredit: AFP - Getty

Five wooden coffins, hundreds of amulets and 10,000 blue funerary statues, known as ushabti figurines, which are fixtures in the ancient tombs of the area, were also found.

The sarcophagus lids are moulded into mummy-like figures of men.

While such contents can be looted or decay over time, Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, described the tombs as in "good condition".

The sarcophagi stone remained "well-polished", he added.

A skeleton discovered at the site in central EgyptCredit: AFP - Getty

Five wooden coffins were among the finds made by archaeologistsCredit: AFP - Getty

A brief history of Ancient Egypt

Here's everything you need to know...

The Ancient Egyptians were an advanced civilisation who at one point owned a huge portion of the globe
The civilisation began about 5,000 years ago when ancient humans began building villages along the River Nile
It lasted for about 3,000 years and saw the building of complex cities centuries ahead of their time – as well as the famous Great Pyramids
The Ancient Egyptians were experts at farming and construction
They invented a solar calendar, and one of the world's earliest writing systems: The hieroglyph
The Egyptians were ruled by kings and queens called pharaohs
Religion and the afterlife were a huge part of Ancient Egyptian culture. They had over 2,000 gods
Pharaohs built huge elaborate tombs to be buried in, some of which were pyramids – at the time among the largest buildings in the world
The Egyptians believed in life after death, and important people's corpses were mummified to preserve their bodies for the afterlife
The Ancient Egytpian empire fell due to a mix of factors, including wars with other empires and a 100-year period of drought and starvation

A collection of Ushabtis or funerary figurines discovered among many archaeological finds in the 3,000-year-old communal tombsCredit: AFP - Getty

The sarcophagus lids are moulded into mummy-like figures of menCredit: AFP - Getty

Waziri said the tombs likely belonged to the high priests of Thoth, the ancient Egyptian god of writing and wisdom, among other senior officials.

The Ministry of Antiquities invited journalists to tour the site, shepherding film crews down ladders into dark, narrow shafts full of skeletons and sarcophagi.

The Egyptian government frequently promotes archaeological finds to boost its vital tourism sector.

The industry was hard hit by political turmoil following the 2011 popular uprising that toppled longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak.