Egyptologists have uncovered more than 1,000 statues and 10 sarcophagi — eight of which hold mummies — in a Nile riverbank tomb in Luxor, The Associated Press reports. The massive discovery dates back to between 1,500 and 1,000 B.C. and is being hailed as "important" by the archaeologists who are still excavating the site.
"It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside," Egypt's antiquities minister, Khaled el-Enany, told AFP, noting that the grave survived the height of Egypt's so-called "era of the tomb robbers."
The 3,000-year-old sarcophagi are described as "well-preserved," although some showed the wear and tear that comes with having been stuck in one place for centuries. Patterned pots were also found in the tomb, which is believed to have been constructed for an ancient city judge named Userhat.
"There is evidence and traces that new mummies could be discovered in the future," added antiquities spokeswoman Nevine el-Aref.