Egyptian Archaeologists Discover New Mummies

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered an ancient cemetery containing dozens of preserved mummies dating back as far as 4-thousand years in the oasis of Fayoum, south of Cairo.

Fifty-three tombs have been discovered cut into rock.

Doctor Abdel-Rahman El-Ayedi was in charge of the team who made the discovery.

He said the discovery will shed light on the traditional funeral customs and architecture of the ancient time.

"The importance of this discovery (is) that it will show the funeral, the development of the funeral architecture within this period of time. At the same time it will give us a clear idea of the burial customs of ancient Egyptians during this time. The tombs are very architectural in design, some of them are very simple in design, they consist of a shaft and a single burial chamber, and others are comprised (of) more than a burial chamber."

El-Ayedi added that many objects were found alongside the mummies including pottery, amulets and statues.