CAIRO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists have discovered an ancient pottery manufacturing workshop in the southern province of Aswan in Egypt, the Antiquities Ministry said Thursday.

"The workshop, the oldest pottery workshop in the Old Kingdom which is also known as the Age of the Pyramids Builders, belongs to the 4th Dynasty, spanning from 2,613 B.C. to 2,494 B.C.," the ministry said in a statement.

Archaeologists found an ancient pottery manufacturing wheel and many half-circle holes.

Moustafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the discovery is "rare and reveals much about the development of pottery manufacturing."

He added the discovery also will help in new findings on the daily lives of ancient Egyptians and their efforts to develop industrial tools.

In recent years, the Antiquities Ministry has made an effort in excavation hoping to revive the tourism industry, a major pillar of foreign currency, that has sharply declined due to several years of instability and chaos.