Stunning find in Egypt: Trove of sealed 2,500-year-old human coffins

Egypt's cultural heritage has suffered damage over the years due to looting and unauthorized excavations of historic burial sites. That's why a newly discovered collection of intact wood coffins found in a burial well in Saqqara is cause for excitement.

Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery on social media over the weekend. Saqqara is a massive necropolis next to the ancient city of Memphis.   

The ministry said archaeologists had found more than 13 human coffins, most of which appear to have remained sealed for over 2,500 years, indicating they'd thankfully escaped looting. 

Khaled El-Enany, minister of tourism and antiquities, shared a teaser video about the find. "An indescribable feeling when you witness a new archaeological discovery," he tweeted.

The video doesn't give too much away, but the minister suggests the early finds are only the beginning of something bigger. The ministry intends to release a series of promotional films with new details about the burial site.

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The archaeological team will work to uncover more artifacts and also try to identify the people inside the coffins and their positions in ancient Egyptian society.

An enigmatic granite sarcophagus made news in 2018 when authorities opened it up and discovered a weird red liquid along with remains inside. The internet went a little overboard with wanting to taste-test the substance. That shouldn't be an issue this time around. The wood coffins appear to be plenty dry.