Egypt unveils trove of ancient coffins excavated in Luxor

LUXOR, Egypt: Egypt revealed on Saturday a rare trove of 30 ancient wooden coffins that have been well-preserved over millennia in the archaeologically rich Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

The antiquities ministry officially unveiled the discovery made at Asasif, a necropolis on the west bank of the Nile River, at a press conference against the backdrop of the Hatshepsut Temple.

"This is the first discovery in Asasif by dedicated Egyptian hands, comprised of archaeologists, conservationists and workers," head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa al-Waziri, told reporters.

The 30 ornately decorated coffins of men, women and children were found only a metre (three feet) underground, stacked in two rows. They are believed to belong to family members of high priests.

Waziri explained that excavations of the site in the 19th century had revealed royal tombs, but this latest discovery had yielded a collection of priests’ burials.