Some of the adult mummies still had painted fragments of cartonnage at the base of their feet which were used for decoration and, in the Ptolemaic era, were made of old papyrus scrolls. Some of the children were wrapped in linen decorated with ancient Egyptian script.

The ministry also displayed bowls and other items and found family artifacts from the Roman and Byzantine eras.

The site was excavated by the ministry and archaeologists from nearby Minya University. Wagdi Ramadan, who the ministry said headed the mission, said Saturday that some of the sarcophagi were tucked into niches in one large chamber, a burial style common at Tuna el-Gebel. Bodies were encased in wooden or stone sarcophagi, while others were tucked in sand or laid on the floor, wrapped in linen.

The tomb was first discovered in February 2018 and, according to Dr. El-Enany, the first announced discovery this year. He said he expected to announce more finds in the coming months.