A collection of 45 ancient Egyptian tombs was discovered last
week by an Egyptian mission of the Supreme Council of
Antiquities (SCA) at the site of Lahoun, in the Fayoum. Culture
minister, Farouk Hosni, announced today that each tomb contains
a painted wooden sarcophagus with the mummy of the deceased
still inside it. Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the SCA,
explained that during the excavation work, the mission unearthed
an 18th dynasty tomb (1550-1295 BC) containing 12 wooden
sarcophagi stacked on top of each other. Each sarcophagus
contains a well-preserved mummy. The mummies are covered in
cartonnage, which is decorated with religious texts from the
Book of the Dead and scenes featuring different ancient Egyptian
deities. The mission also discovered four cemeteries; the first
is dated to the first and second dynasties (ca. 2750-2649 BC),
the second belongs to the Middle Kingdom (2030-1660 BC) while
the third and fourth are dated to the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC)
and The Late Period (724-343 BC). Dr