Ancient Egyptian Tomb And Five Mummies Found

STOP PRESS! BREAKING NEWS!

Since we wrote this story, we've had more news!The new chamber was probably used for mummifying pharaohs - not a tomb as first thought! This is because there are 10 jars in the room with materials in them for mummifying bodies as well as shrouds.

The mummies may well have been moved to this chamber from their original graves to protect them from robbers.

Shows a photo of a mummy lying in its case, with the decorated lid of the case lying next to it, to the left.

Some accidental digging by archaeologists in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt has uncovered an ancient tomb! The team were clearing away some workmen's huts when they found a shaft leading to a small tomb.

This is the first tomb to be discovered since King Tutankhamun's was found in 1922 that is intact. This means that no grave robbers have disturbed it and tried to steal any treasures.

The tomb has five mummies inside but no-one knows who they are yet. Could they be the famous Queen Nefertiti and her daughters?

Nefertiti was Tutankhamun's mother-in-law. She ruled Egypt between 1379 and 1358 BC and her tomb has never been found.

Some archaeologists are wondering whether her mummy might be inside this mystery tomb. They're going to do lots of tests to find out more.

The mummy in the picture above is called Takabuti and is on show in Northern Ireland at the Ulster Museum.

If you're interested in Ancient Egyptian mummies take a look at our Show Me The Mummies story which is packed with games, pictures and places to go.

You can watch a film showing the inside of the newly discovered tomb on the BBC website.


So - the archaeologists now have lots of work to do now, finding out all about the people and treasures inside the tomb. We'll keep you updated with all the latest news as it comes in!