Archaeologists have unearthed eight mummies, more than 1000 figurines called ushabti, and 10 colorful sarcophagi in a 3,500-year-old tomb, Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities announced on Tuesday.

Mostafa Waziri, the head person of archeological mission said, "There are 10 coffins and eight mummies and the excavation is still ongoing,"

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The 18th Dynasty tomb was discovered in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis near the famed Valley of the Kings. It reportedly belonged to a nobleman named Userhat who worked as the city judge around 1500 BC to 1000 BC.

There is an open courtyard inside the tomb which leads to two great halls, one contained six coffins and another containing four. The age of the tomb was determined by the drawings on the ceiling, according to the reports.

"It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside ... We found a large number of ushabti, more than 1,000 of them. This is an important discovery," Egypt's Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany said. 

These figurines called ushabti were often placed with the deceased in ancient Egyptian tombs to help with responsibilities in the afterlife and as well as protect the dead against tomb robbers.

Archaeologists are examining the sarcophagi found in the tomb, which are covered with complex drawings in red, blue, black, green, and yellow, and featured the carved faces of the dead.

The coffins were well-preserved, although some have decayed and deteriorated over the years. Archeologists are also studying a mummy wrapped in linen which was found inside one of the coffins.