Tomb reveals 50 Egyptian mummies including 12 children

A pharaonic tomb containing 50 mummies has been unveiled by Egyptian archaeologists. The mummies were found inside four nine-metre deep burial chambers in the desert province of Minya, south of Cairo.

The chambers were cut out of the rock and probably belonged to a middle-class family who lived during the Ptolemaic period (305-30BC). Their mummification method suggests they held prestigious positions.

Egypt has made a series of archaeological finds recently, and has been heavily promoting them to revive its flagging tourism industry.