The necropolis, which contains about 40 sarcophagi, was discovered in the Nile Valley to the south of Cairo.
One of the tombs at the cemetery, which reportedly dates to the early first millennium BC – namely, the so called Late Period of ancient Egypt and the Ptolemaic Kingdom — contains the mummy of a priest of ancient Egyptian deity Thoth, as well as the remains of the priest’s family members, according to media reports.
So far eight tombs have being discovered at the site and more are expected to be found, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri said.
![Skulls are seen inside the recently discovered burial site in Minya, Egypt February 24, 2018 Skulls are seen inside the recently discovered burial site in Minya, Egypt February 24, 2018 - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/106197/05/1061970510_0:0:3500:2334_600x0_80_0_0_1019fb3bdbc4e244d469dacf8b517c6b.jpg)
The burial site yielded a trove of artifacts, including canopic jars, statues and other funerary items.
![Egyptian antiquities worker brushes a deceased animal's skull inside the recently discovered burial site in Minya, Egypt February 24, 2018 Egyptian antiquities worker brushes a deceased animal's skull inside the recently discovered burial site in Minya, Egypt February 24, 2018 - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/106197/05/1061970584_0:0:3500:2533_600x0_80_0_0_0387720b90935b1c4747c724ac9ec416.jpg)
"We will need at least five years to work on the necropolis. This is only the beginning of a new discovery," Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani said.
The excavation began during late 2017 and it remains to be seen what other findings the archaeologists might make there.