CAIRO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- A collection of artifacts dating back to the Greek and Roman eras were unearthed by an Egyptian archaeological mission in Alexandria province, north of Cairo.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Egypt's antiquities ministry said the collection was uncovered by one of its missions working in Alexandria's Motawweh hill in Amreya site.

Secretary General of the Supreme Antiquities Council, Moustafa Waziri, described the discovery as "unique" as it shows how the site had been used as an industrial and trade zone and a cemetery.

He pointed out that the discovery included several interconnected walls, some of which were built with carefully-cut stones.

A number of furnaces and culinary tools were also found at the site, he added.

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.

Tourism sector has suffered an acute recession over the past few years due to political turmoil and relevant security issues.