An Egyptian archaeological team discovered a cemetery in Alexandria that dates back to the Ptolemaic dynasty, Egypt's antiquities ministry said on Sunday.

The team was conducting archaeological test at a site where a fence was to be established inside workshops of the Railway Authority in the city when they made the discovery, the ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, a number of clay and glass pots and ornamented lamps have been found in the cemetery.

The ministry said it has allocated an amount of money to conduct excavations in the area.

The Ptolemaic Kingdom was founded in 305 BC by Ptolemy I Soter, who declared himself pharaoh of Egypt and created a powerful Hellenistic dynasty that ruled an area from southern Syria to Cyrene and south to Nubia. The Ptolemy family ruled Egypt until the Roman conquest of 30 BC.

Egypt, one of the most ancient civilizations, has been working hard to preserve its archaeological heritage and discover the secrets of its ancient antiquities in a bid to revive the country's ailing tourism sector, which has suffered an acute recession over the past few years due to political turmoil and relevant security issues.

Xinhua