Archaeologists recently uncovered an almost intact ancient Egyptian funerary collection during excavations at the Panhesy Tomb inside the historic ruins of Heliopolis, Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Ministry reported on Sunday.

Heliopolis ranks among Egypt's earliest cities and now lies within the Ain Shams and El Matareya districts in northeastern Cairo.

During antiquity the site functioned as a major religious hub devoted to Ra worship, as evidenced by the Al-Masalla obelisk originally raised by Pharaoh Senusret I of the 12th Dynasty at the Temple of Ra-Atum.

The funerary collection was located beneath a mud-brick burial holding human remains, according to Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Officials noted this marks the first near-complete assemblage recovered from the region.

El-Leithy further reported the find of a copper mirror, two alabaster kohl vessels still holding residue and fitted with lids, plus a third kohl vessel carved from black obsidian, all positioned under the burial.

The discovery sheds new light on daily routines and burial customs of local residents through successive eras, stated Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy.

Several faience artifacts found

Excavators also recovered two pale blue faience vessels near the set. One held six symbolic scarabs bearing inscriptions along with two scarabs wrapped in what appears to be gold.

Additional faience amulets included a duck-shaped piece and another shaped like the Atef crown of Osiris, complete with the Hedjet white crown of Upper Egypt and flanking curly ostrich feathers.

Two carnelian stones, a pinkish-red stone set in what seems to be gold, a blue-green stone, and five pairs of presumed gold earrings completed the cache.

Mohamed Abdel-Badie, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, noted the work follows earlier finds of mud-brick and limestone funerary structures plus two partial coffins.

One coffin, fashioned from gilded plaster with red inscriptions, likely belonged to a military official and held a coin thought to date from the Roman period.

Limestone blocks carrying hieroglyphic texts were also retrieved, underscoring the value of tracing the site's chronological development.

Over 30 mummified cats, ancient Egyptian tombs found in Luxor excavation

In mid-May the ministry announced separate digs at a Nile west-bank necropolis that revealed numerous previously unknown tombs and artifacts.

Work centered on the southeastern area of the tomb of Roy, an 18th Dynasty royal scribe, and his wife, long buried under debris from missions conducted more than a century ago.

Between the tomb of Roy and the adjacent tomb of Baki, ten wooden coffins in good condition were found inside a burial shaft, each decorated with varied scenes and texts.

A second coffin from the Ramesside period bears the name Padi-Amun, a priest at the Temple of Amun.

Over thirty mummified wild and domestic cats were also recovered from debris layers south of the tomb of Baki.

Researchers date the animal burial to the Ptolemaic period, when such mummies served as symbolic offerings for protection before interment in small pits after rituals concluded.