The previously unopened coffin is believed to date back more than 3,000 years and was one of two discovered by a French-led mission in the northern area of El-Asasef, a necropolis on the western bank of the Nile. The first one had been opened earlier and examined by Egyptian antiquities officials. Minister of Antiquities Khaled Al Anani said: “One sarcophagus was rishi-style, which dates back to the 17th dynasty, while the other sarcophagus was from the 18th dynasty. The two tombs were present with their mummies inside.”
The 18th Dynasty dates back to the 13th century BC, a period noted for some of the most well known Pharaohs, including Tutankhamen and Ramses II.
Authorities have also revealed in the same area the tomb of the overseer of the mummification shrine identified as Thaw-Irkhet-if.
The tomb contained five coloured masks and 1,000 Ushabti statutes – the miniature figurine of servants to tend to the dead in the afterlife.
Archaeologists shifted 300 yards of rubble over five months to get to the tomb which contained coloured ceiling paintings depicting the owner and his family.
The tomb, which also contains mummies, skeletons and skulls, dates back to the middle-kingdom almost 4,000 years ago, but was reused during the late period.
Ancient Egyptians mummified humans to preserve their bodies for the afterlife, while animal mummies were used as religious offerings.
Egypt has revealed over a dozen ancient discoveries since the beginning of this year.
The country hopes the latest discoveries will improve its image abroad and revive interest among travellers who once flocked to its iconic pharaonic temples and pyramids but who have shunned the country since its 2011 political uprising.