Archaeologists Found Homer's Iliad Inside a 1,600-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy
mrpg writes:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/07/260713084918.htm
Archaeologists working at the ancient Egyptian site of Oxyrhynchus have made a remarkable discovery: a papyrus containing a passage from Homer's Iliad was found inside a Roman-era mummy dating back about 1,600 years. Researchers say it is the first known case in archaeological history in which a Greek literary text was intentionally incorporated into the mummification process.
The find was made by the Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission, directed by Maite Mascort and Esther Pons through the Institute of Ancient Near East Studies (IPOA) at the University of Barcelona. It comes from Al Bahnasa, the modern town located at the site of ancient Oxyrhynchus in Egypt.
During excavations conducted between November and December 2025, a team led by Nuria Castellano uncovered a Roman-era mummy in Tomb 65 of Sector 22. Resting on the mummy's abdomen was a papyrus that had been deliberately placed there as part of the embalming ritual.
The mission had previously discovered Greek papyri positioned in similar ways during earlier excavations. However, those texts were consistently magical or ritual in nature. This is the first time a literary work, specifically Homer's Iliad, has been identified in that role.
The papyrus underwent detailed study during a second research campaign held in January and February 2026. Conservator Margalida Munar, papyrologist Leah Mascia, and Ignasi-Xavier Adiego, professor in the Department of Classical, Romance and Semitic Languages, classical philologist, and director of the Oxyrhynchus project, examined the fragile document.
Using Leah Mascia's reading of the text, Professor Adiego determined that the fragment comes from the "Catalogue of Ships" in Book II of Homer's Iliad. This well-known section lists the Greek forces preparing for the Trojan War and is considered one of the best-known passages in Western literature.
Professor Adiego explains: "This is not the first time we have found Greek papyri, bundled, sealed, and incorporated into the mummification process, but until now, their content was mainly magical. Furthermore, it is worth noting that, since the late 19th century, a huge number of papyri have been discovered at Oxyrhynchus, including Greek literary texts of great importance, but the real novelty is finding a literary papyrus in a funerary context."
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