The first tomb to be unveiled in Egypt's Valley of the Kings since King Tutankhamun's contains jewelry and embalming materials, but no mummy.

When the tomb and its seven coffins were uncovered in February, researchers expected to find a royal mummy, given the site was metres from Tut's tomb. Dozens of Egyptian pharoahs and their relatives were laid to rest at the site.

But when the lid was lifted off the last coffin on Wednesday, archeologists found woven flowers and royal necklaces thought to be 3,000 years old.

The embalming materials could help reveal what plants and herbs the ancient Egyptians used, said chief curator Nadia Lokma of the Cairo Museum.

There are also signs the tomb, called KV 63, is linked to Tut, said Zahi Hawas, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The tomb has elements of Aten, the sun god in ancient Egyptian mythology, said Egyptologist Otto Schaden of the University of Memphis, who uncovered the tomb.

Coffin lids are coverered in resin, obscuring some hieroglyphic inscriptions, said Hawas.

Researchers hope the hieroglyphics will help them to identify for whom the coffins were built.

The six coffins, which had been opened previously, contained mostly pottery shards and what appear to be feathery pillows.