Cairo (CNN) Egyptian officials unearthed eight mummies, 10 colorful sarcophagi and numerous figurines in 3,500-year-old tombs, the Ministry of Antiquities announced Tuesday.

An Egyptian archaeological mission found the tombs in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis near Luxor in southern Egypt. The main T-shaped tomb belonged to a city judge named Userhat and is typical of New Kingdom noblemen tombs, the ministry said in a statement.

A member of the Egyptian archaeological team works on a wooden coffin Tuesday.

The mission removed 450 cubic meters of debris, revealing the entrance of the main tomb and the two joint tombs.

Excavation work is in full swing "to reveal the secrets of these two tombs," the ministry added .

The archaeologists also discovered ushabti funerary figurines made of faience, terra cotta and wood as well as a collection of clay pots, the ministry said.

Members of the Egyptian archaeological mission eye funerary figurines known as ushabtis.

In another room, the mission found "a collection of ushabti figurines, wooden masks and a handle of a sarcophagus lid was unearthed," the statement said.</s>Eight mummies, colourful coffins and more than 1000 funerary statues have been found at a tomb near the Valley of the Kings in Luxor in Egypt.

Photo: AFP

The artefacts, thought to be at least 3000 years old, were discovered in the tomb in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis nearby.

It belonged to a nobleman who worked as a judge.

"It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside", Egypt's antiquities minister Khaled el-Enany said.

Photo: AFP

Spokeswoman Nevine el-Aref said there was "evidence and traces that new mummies could be discovered in the future".

The coffins were well-preserved, painted in red, blue, black, green, and yellow.

The statues found among the relics were traditionally placed alongside the dead to help them in the afterlife.

A statement released by the ministry said the tomb was T-shaped, with "an open court leading into a rectangular hall, a corridor and an inner chamber".

The statues were found inside a 9m shaft. Another room that was found has not been excavated yet.

-BBC</s>An Egyptian archaeological mission has discovered several mummies, intricately designed wooden sarcophagi and more than 1,000 funerary statuettes, known as Ushabti figurines, in a 3,500-year-old tomb located near the city of Luxor in Egypt. Archaeologists have hailed the latest discovery a major event in ancient Egyptian archaeology.

Egyptian officials from the antiquities ministry first announced the discovery of six well-preserved mummies and two partially preserved remains in the tomb near the southern city of Luxor, according to Phys.org. They later announced that two additional mummies had been found.

“There are 10 coffins and eight mummies. The excavation is ongoing,” AFP reports that Mostafa Waziri, the head of the Egyptian archeological mission, said.

According to a statement released by the Egyptian antiquities ministry on Tuesday, the newly-uncovered ancient tomb was found in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis near the famous Valley of the Kings.

The Valley of the Kings is a massive necropolis located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the ancient city of Thebes (Luxor). Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, nobles and senior New Kingdom officials from the 18th to 20th Dynasties (16th-11th century BC) were buried in the city in elaborately constructed tombs.

The newly excavated tomb, located near the Valley of the Kings, belonged to a nobleman named Userhat, who was a judge in the city of Thebes (now Luxor) during the New Kingdom 18th Dynasty (c. 1550–1298 BC).

According to the archaeologists, although the tomb dated back 3,500 years to the 18th dynasty, it was reused during the 21st Dynasty, about 500 years later. More mummies were reportedly added apparently to hide them away from tomb robbers who were very active during the period, according to Waziri, who led the archaeological mission.

“It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside,” said Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany.”We found a large number of Ushabti (small carved figurines), more than 1,000 of them.”

“This is an important discovery,” he added.

The ushabti, found inside a nine-meter shaft in the tomb, refers to miniature figurines often placed in the tombs of dead ancient Egyptian nobles, apparently to provide servants to serve the nobles in the afterlife. The practice probably developed from times in the remote past when servants were immolated and buried along with their masters to continue serving them in the afterlife.

According to Waziri, many of wooden sarcophagi or coffins were found to be well preserved. They were covered with colorful and intricate artwork, including carved representations of the faces of the dead.

The archaeologists said they were examining the mummies found wrapped in linen inside the coffins.

“It is a T-shaped tomb (which) consists of an open court leading into a rectangular hall, a corridor and an inner chamber,” the statement by the ministry added.

The team said they found another room in the tomb which they have not excavated. According to a spokesperson for the antiquities ministry, members of the team believe that other mummies might still be discovered in the tomb in the future.

The ministry expressed hope that recent discoveries would help to revive tourism in the country.

The country’s tourism industry suffered a major setback following the popular uprising against the regime of Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and subsequent fears of terrorist attacks.

At least six people died last December in a bomb explosion near the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the major tourist attractions in Egypt. But the explosion, which occurred on Al Haram Street, a major route to the site of the pyramids outside central Cairo, did not kill any tourists, The dead were four local civilians, police officers and government administrative officers working in the area.

A few days before the incident, security officials shot and killed three gunmen tracked to a hideout in southern Egypt. The gunmen were believed to be members of the militia wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.</s>Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed several mummies, colorful wooden sarcophagi and more than 1,000 funerary statues in a 3,500-year-old tomb near the city of Luxor.

They have hailed their find an “important discovery”.

The 18th Dynasty tomb containing at least eight mummies was discovered in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis near the famed Valley of the Kings, the antiquities ministry said in a Tuesday statement.

It belonged to a nobleman named Userhat who worked as the city judge. It was opened to add more mummies during the 21st Dynasty, about 3,000 years ago, to protect them during a period when tomb-robbing was common, Mostafa Waziri, the head of the archaeological mission, said at the site.

Ushabti figurines were often placed with the deceased in ancient Egyptian tombs to help with responsibilities in the afterlife.

Antiquities officials had initially said six mummies along with partial remains were discovered near the southern city, but said they had later identified two more mummies.

“There are 10 coffins and eight mummies. The excavation is ongoing,” Waziri said.

Inside the tomb, archaeologists wearing white masks and latex gloves inspected the sarcophagi, which were covered with intricate drawings in red, blue, black, green, and yellow, and featured the carved faces of the dead.

The coffins were mainly well-preserved, though some had deteriorated and broken over the years.

Archaeologists were also examining a mummy wrapped in linen which was inside one of the coffins.

White, orange, green, and patterned pots were also found in the tombs.

The necropolis is located across the Nile from Luxor, on the west bank, where many of the famous ancient Egyptian pharaohs were buried, including Tutankhamun.

The age of the tomb was determined “through the drawings on the ceiling,” said Waziri.

A nine-meter shaft inside the tomb held the Ushabti figurines, as well as “wooden masks and a handle of a sarcophagus lid,” the ministry said.

Waziri said the mummies dated back to an age called “the era of the tomb robbers.”

Another room in the tomb was also discovered, though it has not yet been completely excavated, the ministry said.

Archaeologists were able to enter the tomb “after removing almost 450 meters of debris out of the open court,” it added.

The tombs and ancient temples of Thebes, the capital of ancient Egypt during its later periods and now the city of Luxor, have been a major tourist attraction.

Nevine el-Aref, the spokeswoman for the antiquities ministry, said “there is evidence and traces that new mummies could be discovered in the future” at the site.</s>Members of an Egyptian archaeological team work on April 18, 2017 on a wooden coffin discovered in a 3,500-year-old tomb in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis, near the southern Egyptian city of Luxor (AFP Photo/STRINGER)

Luxor (Egypt) (AFP) - Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed several mummies, colourful wooden sarcophagi and more than 1,000 funerary statues in a 3,500-year-old tomb near the city of Luxor hailed as an "important discovery".

Antiquities officials had initially said six mummies along with partial remains were discovered near the southern city, but said they had later identified two more mummies.

"There are 10 coffins and eight mummies. The excavation is ongoing," Mostafa Waziri, the head of the archeological mission, told AFP.

The 18th Dynasty tomb, discovered in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis near the famed Valley of the Kings, belonged to a nobleman named Userhat who worked as the city judge, the ministry said in a Tuesday statement.

It was opened to add more mummies during the 21st Dynasty, about 3,000 years ago, to protect them during a period when tomb-robbing was common, said Waziri, the head of the archaeological mission, at the site.

"It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside" the tomb, Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany told reporters outside the tomb.

"We found a large number of Ushabti (small carved figurines), more than 1,000 of them," Enany said.

"This is an important discovery," he said.

Ushabti figurines were often placed with the deceased in ancient Egyptian tombs to help with responsibilities in the afterlife.

Inside the tomb, archaeologists wearing white masks and latex gloves inspected the sarcophagi, which were covered with intricate drawings in red, blue, black, green, and yellow, and featured the carved faces of the dead.

The coffins were mainly well-preserved, though some had deteriorated and broken over the years.

Archeologists were also examining a mummy wrapped in linen which was inside one of the coffins.

White, orange, green, and patterned pots were also found in the tombs.

"It is a T-shaped tomb (which) consists of an open court leading into a rectangular hall, a corridor and an inner chamber," the ministry said in a statement.

A nine-metre shaft inside the tomb held the Ushabti figurines, as well as "wooden masks and a handle of a sarcophagus lid," the ministry said.

Another room in the tomb was also discovered, though it has not yet been completely excavated, it said.

Nevine el-Aref, the spokeswoman for the antiquities ministry, said "there is evidence and traces that new mummies could be discovered in the future."

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.</s>Members of an Egyptian archaeological team work on a wooden coffin discovered in a 3,500-year-old tomb in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis, near the southern Egyptian city of Luxor, on April 18, 2017

Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed several mummies, colourful wooden sarcophagi and more than 1,000 funerary statues in a 3,500-year-old tomb near the city of Luxor, hailing an “important discovery”.

The 18th Dynasty tomb containing at least eight mummies was discovered in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis near the famed Valley of the Kings, the antiquities ministry said in a Tuesday statement.

It belonged to a nobleman named Userhat who worked as the city judge. It was opened to add more mummies during the 21st Dynasty, about 3,000 years ago, to protect them during a period when tomb-robbing was common, Mostafa Waziri, the head of the archaeological mission, said at the site.

“It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside,” Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany told reporters outside the tomb.

“We found a large number of Ushabti (small carved figurines), more than 1,000 of them,” Enany said.

Ushabti figurines were often placed with the deceased in ancient Egyptian tombs to help with responsibilities in the afterlife.

Antiquities officials had initially said six mummies along with partial remains were discovered near the southern city, but said they had later identified two more mummies.

“There are 10 coffins and eight mummies. The excavation is ongoing,” Waziri said.

Inside the tomb, archaeologists wearing white masks and latex gloves inspected the sarcophagi, which were covered with intricate drawings in red, blue, black, green, and yellow, and featured the carved faces of the dead.

The coffins were mainly well-preserved, though some had deteriorated and broken over the years.

Archaeologists were also examining a mummy wrapped in linen which was inside one of the coffins.

White, orange, green, and patterned pots were also found in the tombs.

The necropolis is located across the Nile from Luxor, on the west bank, where many of the famous ancient Egyptian pharaohs were buried, including Tutankhamun.

The age of the tomb was determined “through the drawings on the ceiling,” said Waziri.

“It is a T-shaped tomb (which) consists of an open court leading into a rectangular hall, a corridor and an inner chamber,” the ministry said in a statement.

A nine-metre shaft inside the tomb held the Ushabti figurines, as well as “wooden masks and a handle of a sarcophagus lid,” the ministry said.

“The corridor of the tomb leads into an inner chamber where a cachette of sarcophagi is found,” the ministry said.

Waziri said the mummies dated back to an age called “the era of the tomb robbers.”

“It’s evident that someone with a conscience, the priests or a high-profile government official… made an opening to the chambers, and they put the coffins there,” he said.

Another room in the tomb was also discovered, though it has not yet been completely excavated, the ministry said.

Archaeologists were able to enter the tomb “after removing almost 450 metres of debris out of the open court,” it added.

The tombs and ancient temples of Thebes, the capital of ancient Egypt during its later periods and now the city of Luxor, have been a major tourist attraction.

Tourism here has dropped in the turmoil that followed the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak.

Enany said he hoped these new discoveries would help attract tourists again.

Nevine el-Aref, the spokeswoman for the antiquities ministry, said “there is evidence and traces that new mummies could be discovered in the future” at the site.</s>Archaeologists exploring a mysterious tomb in Egypt were in for a surprise when they discovered more than 1,000 statues and eight mummies.

The incredible haul was found in an ancient noble's tomb on the west bank of the Nile River in Luxor.

Little is known about who the mummies belong to, but the team says it expects to find even more statues as the dig continues.

Six mummies have been unearthed in a mysterious 3,500-year-old tomb in Egypt. The tomb, near the city of Luxor, was also home to numerous brightly-coloured coffins and more than one thousand statues. The death fault was discovered near the famous Valley of the Kings in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis. The site is made up of a courtyard leading to two halls which together were home to ten ancient coffins - eight of which held mummies. It is believed to have belonged to an esteemed townsman who worked as the ancient city's judge.

'There are 10 coffins and eight mummies. The excavation is ongoing,' said Mostafa Waziri, the head of the archaeological mission.

The 18th Dynasty tomb, discovered in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis near the famed Valley of the Kings, belonged to a nobleman named Userhat who worked as the city judge, the ministry said in a statement.

It was opened to add more mummies during the 21st Dynasty, about 3,000 years ago, to protect them during a period when tomb-robbing was common, said Waziri, the head of the archaeological mission, at the site.

'It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside the tomb', Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany told reporters outside the tomb.

'We found a large number of Ushabti (small carved figurines), more than 1,000 of them,' Mr Enany said.

'This is an important discovery,' he added.

Ushabti figurines were often placed with the deceased in ancient Egyptian tombs to help with responsibilities in the afterlife.

Inside the tomb, archaeologists wearing white masks and latex gloves inspected the sarcophagi, which were covered with intricate drawings in red, blue, black, green, and yellow, and featured the carved faces of the dead.

The coffins were mainly well-preserved, though some had deteriorated and broken over the years.

Archaeologists were also examining a mummy wrapped in linen which was inside one of the coffins.

White, orange, green, and patterned pots were also found in the tombs.

'It is a T-shaped tomb (which) consists of an open court leading into a rectangular hall, a corridor and an inner chamber,' the ministry said in a statement.

A nine-metre shaft inside the tomb held the Ushabti figurines, as well as 'wooden masks and a handle of a sarcophagus lid,' the ministry said.

Another room in the tomb was also discovered, though it has not yet been completely excavated, it said.

Nevine el-Aref, the spokeswoman for the antiquities ministry, said 'there is evidence and traces that new mummies could be discovered in the future.'</s>Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed several mummies, colorful wooden sarcophagi, and more than a thousand funerary statues in a 3,500-year-old tomb near the city of Luxor — an ancient haul that's being hailed as an "important discovery."

Antiquities officials had initially said six mummies along with partial remains were discovered near the southern city, but later said they had identified two more.

"There are 10 coffins and eight mummies. The excavation is ongoing," Mostafa Waziri, the head of the archeological mission, told AFP.

The 18th Dynasty tomb, discovered in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis near the famed Valley of the Kings, belonged to a nobleman named Userhat who worked as the city judge, the ministry said in a Tuesday statement.

It was opened to add more mummies during the 21st Dynasty, about 3,000 years ago, to protect them during a period when tomb-robbing was common at the site, Waziri said.

"It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside" the tomb, Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany remarked to reporters outside of the tomb.</s>The mysterious death vault dated roughly from 1,500 to 1,000 B.C belonged to a nobleman named Userhat

Egyptian archaeologists have discovered eight mummies in a 3,500-year-old tomb near the southern city of Luxor.

The tomb, discovered in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis near the famed Valley of the Kings, also contained colourful wooden coffins and more than 1,000 funerary statues.

The tomb, discovered in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis near the famed Valley of the Kings, is not fully excavated yet.

The mysterious death vault from roughly 1,500 to 1,000 B.C belonged to a nobleman named Userhat who worked as the city judge, the Antiquities Ministry said in a statement.

Head of the archaeological mission, Mostafa el-Waziri, said: “There are 10 coffins and eight mummies. The excavation is ongoing.”

The tomb comprised an open courtyard leading to two halls, one containing four ancient coffins and the other including a chamber that houses six.

It was opened to add more mummies during the 21st Dynasty, about 3,000 years ago, to protect them during a period when tomb-robbing was common.

Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany said: “It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside.

“We found a large number of Ushabti (small carved figurines), more than 1,000 of them.

 “This is an important discovery.”

Ushabti figurines were often placed with the deceased in ancient Egyptian tombs to help with responsibilities in the afterlife.

Inside the tomb, archaeologists wearing white masks and latex gloves inspected the coffins.

They were covered with intricate drawings in red, blue, black, green, and yellow, and featured the carved faces of the dead.

The coffins were mainly well-preserved, though some had deteriorated and broken over the years. Archaeologists also examined a mummy wrapped in linen which was inside one of the coffins. White, orange, green, and patterned pots were also found in the tombs.

“It is a T-shaped tomb (which) consists of an open court leading into a rectangular hall, a corridor and an inner chamber,” the ministry said in a statement.

A nine-metre shaft inside the tomb held the Ushabti figurines, as well as “wooden masks and a handle of a sarcophagus lid,” the ministry said.

Another room in the tomb was also discovered, though it has not yet been completely excavated, it said.



 Nevine el-Aref, the spokeswoman for the antiquities ministry, said “there is evidence and traces that new mummies could be discovered in the future.”

Earlier this year, Italian researchers began a fresh investigation into the King Tutanhkamun’s resting place with the hope they will find the “discovery of the century”.</s>Antiquities officials had initially said six mummies along with partial remains were discovered near the southern city, but said they had later identified two more mummies.

"There are 10 coffins and eight mummies. The excavation is ongoing," Mostafa Waziri, the head of the archeological mission, told AFP.

The 18th Dynasty tomb, discovered in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis near the famed Valley of the Kings, belonged to a nobleman named Userhat who worked as the city judge, the ministry said in a Tuesday statement.

It was opened to add more mummies during the 21st Dynasty, about 3,000 years ago, to protect them during a period when tomb-robbing was common, said Waziri, the head of the archaeological mission, at the site.

"It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside" the tomb, Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany told reporters outside the tomb.

"We found a large number of Ushabti (small carved figurines), more than 1,000 of them," Enany said.

"This is an important discovery," he said.

Ushabti figurines were often placed with the deceased in ancient Egyptian tombs to help with responsibilities in the afterlife.

Inside the tomb, archaeologists wearing white masks and latex gloves inspected the sarcophagi, which were covered with intricate drawings in red, blue, black, green, and yellow, and featured the carved faces of the dead.

The coffins were mainly well-preserved, though some had deteriorated and broken over the years.

Archeologists were also examining a mummy wrapped in linen which was inside one of the coffins.

White, orange, green, and patterned pots were also found in the tombs.

"It is a T-shaped tomb (which) consists of an open court leading into a rectangular hall, a corridor and an inner chamber," the ministry said in a statement.

A nine-metre shaft inside the tomb held the Ushabti figurines, as well as "wooden masks and a handle of a sarcophagus lid," the ministry said.

Another room in the tomb was also discovered, though it has not yet been completely excavated, it said.

Nevine el-Aref, the spokeswoman for the antiquities ministry, said "there is evidence and traces that new mummies could be discovered in the future."

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The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announces the discovery of eight mummies, 10 colorful sarcophagi, and numerous figurines in a 3,500-year-old tomb near the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.