A mummy covered in gold is among the latest discoveries

Archaeologists say they have found a mummy covered in gold leaf sealed inside a coffin that has not been opened for 4,300 years.

The mummy, the remains of a man named Hekasheps, is believed to be one of the oldest and most complete non-royal bodies ever found in Egypt.

It was discovered at the bottom of a 15-meter (50 ft) column at a burial site south of Cairo, Saqqara, where three other tombs have been found.

One of the tombs belonged to a "secret keeper".

It is said that the largest of the mummies discovered in the ancient necropolis belonged to a man named Khnummagdev - a priest, inspector and overseer of the nobility.

Another belonged to a man named Miri, who was a high-ranking official in the palace, and was given the title of "secret keeper", which allowed him to perform private religious rituals.

A judge and scribe named Vitek is believed to have been buried in the other tomb, where a set of what is believed to be the largest statues ever found in the area were discovered.

Many other items, including pottery, have also been found among the tombs. 

Archaeologist and former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass said that all the discoveries date back to around the 25th to the 22nd century BC.

Ali Abu Dashish, another archaeologist involved in the excavations, said, "This discovery is very important because it connects the kings with the people who lived around them."

Saqqara has been an active necropolis for more than 3,000 years and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is located in what was the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, and is home to more than a dozen pyramids including the Step Pyramid, near where the column containing the mummy was found.

Thursday's discovery comes just one day after experts in Luxor, southern Egypt, announced that they had discovered a complete residential city from the Roman era, dating back to the second and third centuries AD, as reported by the BBC. 

Archaeologists have unearthed residential buildings, towers, and what they call "metal workshops" containing Roman utensils, tools, and coins.

Egypt has unveiled several major archaeological discoveries in recent years, as part of efforts to revive its tourism industry.

The government hopes its Grand Egyptian Museum, due to open this year after delays, will attract 30 million tourists annually by 2028.

But critics have accused the Egyptian government of prioritizing media-grabbing discoveries over difficult academic research in order to attract more tourism.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news