A hidden Egyptian tomb has yielded a discovery of at least 34 mummies.

In the southern Egyptian city of Aswan, archaeologists from Egypt and Italy uncovered 34 mummies. The remains date from the late Pharaonic and Greco-Roman periods, spanning from the 6th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D.

Along with the mummies, the team uncovered various artifacts, including painted funerary masks, pottery, and wooden statuettes. They also discovered bitumen-filled vases used in the mummification process, as well as a stretcher likely used to transport the bodies to the tomb.

A complete hieroglyphic inscription revealed that the tomb, buried beneath the sand, belonged to a trade leader named Tjt.

Khaled El-Enany, Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities, invited Egyptology professor Patrizia Piacentini from the University of Milan to oversee the excavation in Aswan.

Piacentini led the excavation efforts with Abdelmanaem Said from the Ministry of Antiquities, while engineer Gabriele Bitelli identified the tomb and created 3D reconstructions of the discovered artifacts.

A flight of steps descended from the surface to the tomb, which contained two burial chambers and was sealed by a wall.

In the main burial chamber, the archaeologists discovered about 30 mummified bodies of men, women, and children, with an additional four bodies found in a side chamber. Two overlapping mummies were identified as a mother and child.

Piacentini informed Dinogo that further research is needed to accurately count the number of bodies found.

Some vases still contained remnants of food, and two statuettes depicted Ba, the Egyptian bird god symbolizing an aspect of the soul.

Piacentini stated, 'While we knew Aswan was significant during the late Pharaonic and Greco-Roman periods, we didn’t know where the people were buried. Now, we know.'

'The tombs reveal details about what they ate, how they died, and the age at which they passed away,' she explained.

The discovery of the tomb was part of a larger excavation effort, during which around 300 tombs were mapped in the area. Piacentini mentioned that a second phase of the mission will take place in November, adding, 'We’re expecting many more surprises.'