Archaeologists have discovered over 100 ancient tombs, some of which are at least five millennia old, at a site in northern Egypt.

Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the significant find by the archaeological team headed by Dr Sayed Al-Talhawi on 27th April.

The 110 tombs were unearthed at the Kom Al-Khalejan archaeological site in Egypt’s Dakahlia Governorate in the north of the country, in the Nile Delta region.

Amongst the graves are 68 oval-shaped tombs, which have been dated back to Egypt’s Predynastic era from 6000 to 3150 BC.

Thirty-seven rectangular tombs were also found at the site and are believed to be from the so-called Second Intermediate Period from 1650 to 1550 BC, when the when the Hyksos people of West Asia ruled the country.

The remaining tombs are oval-shaped and have been dated to the Naqada III, or Protodynastic, Period from 3200 to 3000 BC, during which time the Egyptian language was first recorded in hieroglyphs.

Some of the tombs uncovered still contained the mortal remains of adults and children, and grave goods and items of pottery were also found within.

The authorities hope the find, along with other high-profile recent archaeological discoveries, will help to revive Egypt’s flailing tourism industry, which has been decimated due to the revolution of 2011, security concerns and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.