Egyptian archaeologists excavating in Minya, south of Cairo, have discovered 50 mummies in a pharaonic tomb dating back to the Ptolemaic era. The identities of the mummies, 12 of which were children, remain unknown but the mummification method indicates the individuals were of significant status. Some of the mummies were placed in stone or wooden sarcophagi and others wrapped in linen, then laid within one of four different burial chambers. Additional artifacts were also uncovered, including pottery and papyri.