Egyptian archaeologists recently discovered 30 colorful ancient wooden coffins in the city of Luxor. On Saturday, they were opened to reveal perfectly preserved mummies.

The Antiquities Ministry described the coffins as extremely well-preserved, with colorful paintings and full inscriptions, and said they were still closed, "as the ancient Egyptians left them." They were found in the Assasif cemetery and are estimated to be about 3,000 years old.

The ministry called the find, which included coffins for men, women and children, one of the largest and most important discoveries in recent years.

The coffins were found in two rows, with some placed on top of others. "It is the first large human coffin cache ever discovered since the end of the 19th century," the Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany said during a ceremony in Luxor Saturday, Reuters reported.

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The coffins were designated for male and female priests and children, said Mostafa Waziri, the excavation team leader, dating back to the 10th century BC under the rule of the 22nd Pharaonic dynasty.

According to Reuters, the coffins need to undergo restoration before they can be moved to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which will open next to the Giza pyramids next year.