A beautifully decorated sarcophagus of a 3,600-year-old mummy has been unearthed in Luxor.
It is believed the mummy was a high-ranking official but Egyptologists will now work to discover its identity.
Mohammed Ibrahim, Egypt’s Antiquities Minister, said in a statement that the preserved wooden sarcophagus dates back to 1,600 BC, when the Pharaonic 17th Dynasty reigned.
Spanish archaeologists made the find alongside experts from the Egyptian antiquities mission.
The sarcophagus is engraved with hieroglyphs and decorated with inscriptions of birds’ feathers on its lid and sides that have led experts to refer to it as ‘Feathers Sargophagi’.
Antiquities department head Ali Al-Asfar said the sarcophagus still bears its original colouring and writings.
Measuring 7ft 11inches (242cm) long, it is said to be in very good condition and the titles of the deceased are thought to be engraved on it, which experts are working on identifying.