Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni said Tuesday that a rare ancient wooden coffin believed to have a history of over 3500 years was unearthed in the southern city of Luxor, the official MENA news agency reported.
Hosni was quoted as saying that the coffin, which dates back to the 13th Dynasty (1785-1680 BC) in ancient Egypt, was unearthed inside an unmarked tomb in the area of Dra'a Abul-Naga near the pyramid of King Nob-khebar Ra-antaf.
The antique, discovered by a German archaeological team in the Thebes cemetery, has been the first of its kind since 1820 when a similar coffin of a woman called Mentohotep was unearthed, he added.