"The Remains of substances, used in the mummification process, have been found in a sarcophagus that was unearthed near Luxor in November 2005," a senior official said on Wednesday 28/6/2006.

"An archaeological team from the University of Memphis, USA, found the substances in one of the seven sarcophagi that were discovered at a site some five meters from the tomb of King Tutankhamen at Luxor," said Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni at a special ceremony celebrating the discovery.

The finds include gold necklaces, potsherds and pieces of linen as well as chemicals used in the mummification process, Hosni added.

Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Antiquities Zahi Hawas said: "The substances and the objects found in the coffin prove my theory that the tomb in which the coffins were uncovered were stolen some time during the XXIX dynasty (1295- 1188 BC).