Egypt displays newly found ancient tombs and workshops

Authorities in charge of Egypt's antiquities Saturday presented ancient tombs and workshops that they claim were recently found at a Pharaonic necropolis outside of Cairo.

The locations were discovered in the vast Saqqara necropolis, which is a part of Memphis, the former capital of Egypt, and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the workshops had been used to mummify humans and sacred animals, ABC reported.

He also informed that the workshops and ancient tombs date back to the 30th Pharaonic Dynasty (380 BC to 343 BC) and the Ptolemaic period (305 BC to 30 BC).

Inside the workshops, archaeologists found clay pots and other items apparently used in mummification, as well as ritual vessels, Waziri said.

According to Sabri Farag, director of the Saqqara archaeological site, the tombs were for a senior official from the Old Kingdom and a priest from the New Kingdom.

The Egyptian government has been extensively promoting new archaeological discoveries to foreign diplomats and the media in recent years.

In order to revitalise an industry that suffered from political unrest after the 2011 uprising, it is hoped that such findings may assist in luring more tourists to the nation.