Egypt discovers new necropolis containing dozens of mummies

Cairo, May 14 (IANS) Egypt's antiquities ministry said that it has found a necropolis with as many as 30 intact mummies near the city of Minya, the first such find in the area, the media reported.

The discovery was made in the village of Tuna al-Gabal, a vast archaeological site on the edge of the western desert. The area hosts necropolises mainly for animals and birds, The Telegraph reported on Saturday.

The ministry said they belonged to the Late Period, which spanned almost 300 years up to Alexander the Great's conquest of Egypt in 332 B.C.

But a spokeswoman said they could also date from the Ptolemaic Dynasty, founded by Alexander the Great's general Ptolemy.

Archeologists believe that it is the first time to unearth a burial tomb with that number of mummies for ordinary people and in catacombs style.

Inside the catacomb, Khaled Anani, Egypt's Minister of Antiquities referred to the gaps inside the catacombs saying "The more we drill the more we find".

Four wells of eight metres deep were unearthed, which lead to catacombs where mummies of men, women and children are laid in good shape, reports The Telegraph.

In one chamber inside the tunnels, human bones and skulls are piled. Most of the mummies were laid in lines in both of its sides.

While some them were left in plain stone and wooden sarcophagi, others were piled on top of each other.

"The excavation did not end yet, it's in the beginning" Anani said, adding that archaeologists expected to find many more.

The site is close to an ancient animal cemetery.

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