3 February

Archaeologists have found more than 40 mummies in an ancient tomb in central Egypt.

Antiquities ministry officials held a news conference in Minya on Saturday to announce the discovery of the tomb nine meters below the surface at an archaeological site.

The officials said the mummies apparently date back about 2,000 years, and 12 of the bodies are those of children.

They say the mummies are wrapped in papyrus and have relatively simple decorations, indicating that they were middle-class people.

The archaeologists also discovered a pot apparently for storing food and a mummified jackal. Some believe the animal has religious significance.

The researchers expect the uncovered items will lead to a better understanding of the life of the ordinary people of the era and their religious customs.

Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani said the excavation has just begun and expressed hope for further discoveries.—NHK