TORONTO -- Thirteen wooden coffins that sat undisturbed for more than 2,500 years have been discovered in Egypt, officials in that country say.
Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities detailed the find Sunday in a Facebook post, stating that the coffins were found during an archeological dig at Saqqara, a major burial ground in ancient Egypt.
According to the ministry, archeologists found the coffins fully intact in a burial shaft approximately 11 metres deep, and expect to find more as they continue their work at the site.
Although there is still much investigation and examination to be done, the ministry reported that the 13 coffins discovered to date appear not to have been opened since they were buried.
It is not yet known who was buried inside the coffins, which were found stacked on top of each other. Ancient Egyptians of all class levels were buried, although the wealthy were generally kept in more elaborate conditions, making them easier to find now.
In , Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany said that seeing the discovery for himself left him with an "indescribable feeling" and that more details would be made public in the near future.
Saqqara, the necropolis of the major ancient city of Memphis for an estimated 3,000 years, has been the subject of intense archeological work in recent years.
Other notable discoveries have included mummified lions and other animals, a 4,400-year-old tomb and what might be the world's oldest surviving cheese.
