Egyptian archaeologists uncovered a Pharaonic tomb containing 50 mummies dating back to the Ptolemaic era, in Minya, south of Cairo, the ministry of antiquities said on Saturday. The mummies, 12 of which were of children, were discovered inside four, nine-meter deep burial chambers, in the Tuna El-Gebel archaeological site. It was obvious from the mummification method that the individuals whose remains were found had to some extent held important or prestigious positions. Some of the mummies were found wrapped in linen while others were placed in stone coffins or wooden sarcophagi and decorated with Demotic handwriting. The grave could date back to the Ptolemaic, early Roman and Byzantine periods.
