30 ancient coffins with mummies inside discovered in Egypt

Whoa mummy!

Thirty ancient coffins with mummies inside were discovered in Egypt by officials last week.

The coffins were found near the city of Luxor inside the Asasif Necropolis, which is located along the west bank of the Nile River, according to the Supreme Council of Antiquities’ secretary general, Mostafa Waziri.

Paintings and inscriptions were found on the coffins.

Among the mummies found inside the ancient structures were 28 adults — 23 of whom were male and five of whom were female — and two children, said Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Anany. The genders of the children have not been disclosed.

Related: Mummies found at burial site in Egypt

The momentous finding was praised by el-Anany, who described the coffins as "exceptionally painted and preserved.” He called it the "biggest and most important" finding in years.

It’s particularly rare to find coffins with children inside, archaeologist Zahi Hawass said, according to CNN, which has garnered even more attention around the uncovering.

Next month, the coffins will be moved to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is being built in Cairo.

Waziri said those inside the coffins lived during the 22nd dynasty, which lasted from 945 B.C. to 715 B.C.

The coffins had been stacked — with 18 of them on top of the other 12 — when they were found. Officials believe the coffins were hidden by a priest to prevent them from getting looted.