Egyptian archaeologists have discovered 17 mummies in desert catacombs in Minya province, an "unprecedented" find for the area south of Cairo, AFP reported Saturday (May 13th).
Archaeologists found the non-royal mummies in a series of corridors after following the trail of burial shafts in the Touna-Gabal district of the central Egyptian province, the antiquities ministry said in a statement.
Along with the mummies, they found a golden sheet and two papyri in Demotic -- an ancient Egyptian script -- as well as a number of sarcophagi made of limestone and clay.
There were also animal and bird coffins, the ministry said, adding that the mummies have not yet been dated.
The discovery is the first such find in the area, officials said at the site.
Egyptologist Salah al-Kholi said the discovery was "the first human necropolis found in central Egypt with so many mummies".
It could herald even more discoveries in the area, he said.
"Antiquities are the soft power that distinguishes Egypt," Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Enany said. "News of antiquities are the things that attract the world to Egypt."
