Archaeologists from the University of Memphis have uncovered a new intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings just outside the ancient city of Luxor, Egypt:
The 18th Dynasty tomb included five mummies in intact sarcophagi with colored funerary masks along with more than 20 large storage jars, sealed with pharaonic seals, Zahi Hawass, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said in a statement.
The statement, issued Wednesday, did not specify whether the tomb was believed to be that of a pharoah. The 18th Dynasty ruled from around 1560 BC to 1085 BC, and Tutankhamun was among its kings.
A Memphis University team of archaeologists led by Otto Schaden found the tomb four meters below the ground, buried under rubble and stones five meters away from Tut's tomb.
Inside the rectangular tomb, the five wooden sarcophagi were surrounded by the jars, which appeared placed haphazardly, suggesting the burial was completed quickly, the statement by Hawass said.
The tomb dating spans the period of Jewish enslavement in Egypt, the Exodus, and the period of the Judges. (This will be narrowed down on further insection.) A formal announcement is expected tomorrow.