Updated on Monday, July 24, 2006, 00:00 IST

Luxor, July 24: Top Egyptian archaeologist and Head of Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, unveiled the last and largest sarcophagus of seven that were discovered by American team in tomb four months ago.

Although a more thorough investigation of the mummies is yet to be conducted, Hawass said:

"The discovery proved in my opinion that this tomb was actually stolen at the beginning of dynasty 18th and after that used as embalming material" he said.

An American team found what appeared to be an intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings, the first found in the valley since the discovery of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamen in 1922 by the English archaeologist Howard, archaeologists said.

The tomb contains seven mummies in intact Sarcophagi from the late 18th dynasty, about the same period as Tutankhamen, but the archaeologists have not yet had the time or the access to identify them properly.

"The most important thing that is going to happen from now is to study the material that has been found inside this tomb" Hawass told reporters.

The 18th dynasty ruled Egypt from 1567 BC to 1320 BC, a period during which the country's power reached a peak.

The Valley of the Kings in southern Egypt contains the tombs of most of the pharaohs of the time but the archaeologist said the mummies in the newly found tomb were not necessarily royalty.

Bureau Report